Then There Were Two
by Akuma-Chibi
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?
1. Chapter 1

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: ****I...know who will be with who, but I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**A/N 1: So, I decided to change some things about this story, the first being the chosen name for Naruto's twin sister. I also added a new first chapter, the original one posted has been altered slightly and paced differently, now the second chapter. Please Read and I hope this is better enjoyable~**

**A/N 2: So...I read the lyrics before listening to the song below, and I actually cried while thinking about how it was such a good fit for Naruto, Kushina and Minato. I encourage everyone to give it a listen.**

**-x-x-x-**

_**And these things that we have given you  
They are not so easily found  
But you can thank us later  
For the things we've handed down**_

_**-The Things We've Handed Down (Marc Cohn)**_

**-x-x-x-**

_It was hard to say, if it was late...or early...as two infantile cries sounded throughout the night. This night...cold and darkened with the passing of a Hero...no, two Heroes._

**-x-x-x-**

**(One Week Later)**

"_Lord Hokage?"_

_The elder man stood with his back to the Jounin behind him. His eyes taking in the now peacefully sleeping twins that lay on a cushioned blanket in a bassinet that had been brought in not long ago. The were beautiful...and so blissfully unaware of the terrors that had befallen their village the night before. "What is it?"_

"_...the funeral..."_

'_That's right...a memorial service. To be held for the Fourth Hokage, his wife, and all those who lost their lives...' he sighed, "so many crying faces will be met today, and the struggle is nowhere near finished."_

"_..."_

"_Have a nursemaid come in and watch out for these two while I'm away."_

"_Yes, Lord Hokage."_

_Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, gave the two newborns a parting look before preparing himself for the funeral he was to attend. 'There are many hardships ahead, that neither of you will be able to avoid. However, you'll both grow from them...and become stronger because of them. I know this...because the Will of Fire was passed down to the two of you, when your parents gave their lives to save you. Let's see how brightly it burns...'_

**-x-x-x-**

**(Seven Years Later)**

"Naruto, why do they look at us...like that?"

Naruto shrugged, looking down at his feet, he hid his tears from his sister who held his hand and hid partially behind him. "They...don't even know us..." He turned and grinned at the blonde girl by his side, "forget them Katsumi! They don't know anything about us!"

She stared at his familiar blue eyes and smiled, nodding as before being pulled past the glaring and disgusted looks from the adults around them.

"Ah...! Hey...look." Naruto slowed to a stop. They were standing in front of Old Man Teuchi's Raman shop and, right in front of the shop...was what looked like a puppy. No, it was a puppy.

"It's so cute!" She ran up to the dog, accidentally frightening it and causing it to jump back. Katsumi knelt and held her hand out, watching the puppy as it cautiously moved towards her, sniffing at the tips of her fingers before sniffing the ground around her.

"Hey, Old Man!" Naruto called out and grinned as the old man behind the stand turned his eyes to him. "Got a piece of meat to spare?" He pointed to the puppy that his sister was now petting.

"Piece of meat? Hmm...and I suppose after I feed the dog, you expect me to feed you too?" He chuckled, "here," he placed a bowl with some leftover bits of meat on the counter.

"Thanks a lot!"

Katsumi looked over as Naruto placed the bowl down next to her and the puppy quickly moved in the direction of the food. All the while, she never stopped petting the small dog.

"Akamaru!"

The two turned as a boy came running over towards them. Naruto was quick to turn defensive, his hand shot out as he took Katsumi's and pulled her up and away from the dog.

"Ah! Hey! Naruto...wait!" She cried out, annoyed with being yanked around by her brother.

"Akamaru! I was worried sick, buddy!" The boy said as he placed his hand on Akamaru's head when he ran up to him. The boy looked towards the two blondes and he grinned at them. "Thanks for taking care of Akamaru!"

Naruto's eyes widened and he looked the boy over.

"Hm? Don't you two talk?"

A hand rested on Naruto's and Katsumi's shoulders, "they are just shy." Teuchi smiled warmly at the boy holding the dog, "this is Naruto and his sister Katsumi...what's your name?"

"I'm Kiba Inuzuka, and this is my friend Akamaru!" Kiba grinned, "hey, Naruto, Katsumi...come play with me and Akamaru!"

The twins shared uncertain looks before being nudged forward. Turning to look at the man behind them, his gentle and reassuring smile gave them the push they needed to make their first friend.

"Naruto! Let's go~!" Katsumi laughed, taking her brothers hand in hers before tugging him towards Kiba. The three spent the rest of the day playing at the park until the last few rays of sunlight peered over the lands. This marked the first of many smiles to come...

**-x-x-x-**

**(Three Weeks Later)**

"Get up tubby!"

"Look at this loser...tch..."

"You want to be a Ninja, but all you do is eat..."

"Hey!" Katsumi, who had been on her way to meet up with her brother at the local bookstore, had stumbled across a group of kids picking on another kid.

"Oh look...it's another freak! Hahaha!" One of the kids, bully "A"...walked over to her and leaned forward a bit, "my mom says that you and your brother are demon's."

'_Demons...?'_ She couldn't deny having heard that once or twice herself, but she never understood what it was that made her and her brother demons. "If I'm a demon...then maybe you shouldn't stand so close!" She kicked the boy hard between the legs and slammed her shoulder into his chest as he hunched over. When he was knocked down, she ran over and pulled the kid being bullied up and dragged him away from the group without looking back once. They were yelling, chasing after her. However, she just kept running. _'...I'm...a coward.' _Tears swelled in her eyes as she blinked them away. Blinking was all it took, as for the single moment she'd closed them, she'd run right into someone.

"Hm? You okay, kid?"

A pair of hands carefully guided her back onto her feet as she looked up to meet caramel brown eyes, brown hair fell to his shoulders and a Senbon was situated lazily between his lips. "I...oh, I'm okay!" she blushed and pulled out of the older mans reach. "S-sorry..."

He tilted his head curiously and looked up just in time to see the group of kids that had been chasing them take off in the other direction. "Hm, where were you heading to?"

"...the bookstore." Katsumi said, taking the hand of the boy behind her as she became shy and hid herself a bit.

"I'll walk you both there. What are your names?"

She looked at the man who turned and started walking off, both her and the boy she'd dragged along followed behind him. "I'm...Katsumi Uzumaki..."

"Chouji Akimichi..." the boy from next to her said.

"Those kids, were they bullying you?"

"They were bullying me, K-Katsumi knocked one of them down and got me away from them."

"I see..." he turned his head so that he could see the two of them, "if you want to protect yourself, grow strong enough to protect yourself...if you want to protect your friends, then grow strong enough to protect your friends."

Katsumi frowned, "how strong is that?"

He shrugged, "who knows." Stopping in front of the book shop, he bent down before the two kids. "Don't let bullies break you down, stand up and fight back." About to leave, he stood when a hand caught hold of his. "Hm?"

"What's your name?"

He stared into the big blue eyes of the little blonde-haired girl, "...Genma Shiranui..." he wondered if she'd remember his name but guessed it didn't matter one way or another. He figured he probably wouldn't see them again until they were twice their current age.

"Katsumi! What took you so long?!" Naruto ran out of the store he'd been waiting in for almost forty minutes now. They'd forgotten their money for the books they were getting, and she'd run back, but he hadn't thought it would take her quite so long to return.

"Sorry Naruto, I was...well...it's a long story." She laughed. A poof from next to her drew her attention and she felt the hand she held vanish from her grip. That...wasn't the first time she saw Genma...as, her brother had later on caused many problems with the Hokage's Special Elite Bodyguards that had him bringing her brother home by the scruff of his shirt.

"Hey, who's this kid?"

Turning and taking the boys hand, she grinned, "this is our new friend! Chouji Akimichi!"

**-x-x-x-**

**(Two Days Later)**

It hadn't been long since they had met Chouji, and in all truth, they were surprised when he came running up to them and Kiba two days later with another kid dragging his feet behind him.

"Chouji!" Katsumi yelled and waved both her arms over her head when she saw the boy running their way.

"Katsumi~! Naruto!" He paused at the other face he hadn't met yet.

"This is Kiba, of the Inuzuka clan, and his friend Akamaru!" Katsumi said as she playfully messed with the puppy beside her.

"Ah! It's nice to meet you..." Chouji smiled awkwardly, but the happy smile on Kiba's face calmed his nerves by a lot and the boy relaxed with the new potential friend. "I brought one of my friends with me...is it okay if he hangs out with us?"

Katsumi shook her head and sighed, "Chouji, of course it's okay."

Naruto smirked, "not like we have a hidden supply of friends anyways. It's just us," he pointed his finger at Kiba and dragged it in a half circle, indicating the few people in the group. "Katsumi and I don't think we need many, but..."

Katsumi nodded, "we don't need many, but we do need good friends."

A raised brow, a bored yet curious expression, "good friends? Like how?"

She shrugged, "we won't judge you, if you don't judge us..."

"That's silly," he watched the girl in front of him wrap her arms around herself, "it's normal to judge someone, as long as you don't let it get to your head. I judge a new person everyday...but...you do you, and don't let me stand in your way."

"Shikamaru is part of the Nara clan, his dad is really smart," Chouji chuckled.

Naruto looked at his feet and frowned, "what a pain," he sighed, "I get what you're saying, so let me put it to you this way instead. Don't turn your back on us, and we won't turn our back on you. It'll be us...this group, no matter what, we'll be friends for life. Believe it!"

Kiba grinned, "that sounds like a deal,"

"I think I can handle that," Shikamaru said in a chilled tone.

Nodding, Chouji moved over to Katsumi, "I'm good with that, Katsumi?"

"Yeah...I like the way that sounds." She looked to her brother and grinned, "believe it!"

**-x-x-x-**

**(One Year Later)**

Katsumi laughed as she out ran the guys chasing her. She was faster then the group of them, and as she jumped through the window to the Academy, she slid through the door and bowed to their Sensei before taking her seat. Not a minute after she'd sat down, the other four came running in and bowed to their Sensei.

"You five are late today, what for?"

"Ah...that was my fault, Sensei." Katsumi stood up and bowed, "we were on our way earlier...but I got distracted."

"I hope you had a good reason, you each will stay after class. This hopefully won't happen again."

"...I don't think it will..." she smiled, _'what's the likelihood of us finding another pregnant cat going into labor on the way to class?'_

"We are taking class outside today, you have each been working diligently, learning the Shinobi Ways on paper, but now, it's time we start to put what you are learning into action."

"Finally!" Naruto yelled, "so we get to throw Kunai's and practice with-"

"Sit down, Naruto!"

Katsumi laughed under her breath; her brother was having a hard time still. Since they joined the Academy a few months ago, he'd been seriously struggling with his studies and training. She on the other hand was progressing forward far quicker than either of them had anticipated. For her, she had no problems understanding the material they learned, and then training with Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji and Naruto, she was proficient and a quick learner.

"Now, we will be practicing the basics of Kunai throwing, to see where everyone is at this stage. From there, I can gauge how to proceed with our lessons. Everyone stand up and follow me outside."

"Katsumi, your hair is getting really long... you gonna start tying it up so that it doesn't get in your way?"

Katsumi brought a hand to her hair; it was true, the blond locks had grown a bit since they'd all met one another...and she was sure that they'd only get longer...but she'd never considered tying her hair up. It felt nice leaving her hair down. "Is it really that long?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "it's just an observation," he pulled a hair tie from his pocket and held it out to her, "just while we are practicing outside, since it's windy and all..."

She watched him leave and looked at the tie in her hand, "...hm..." she smiled, pulling her blonde hair into a low ponytail that was fixed at the nape of her neck. Her hair tickled just above the middle of her back as she walked and took into consideration possibly cutting it, but the idea of getting it cut sent shivers up her spine. _'I'll just buy some ties for my hair later...'_

**-x-x-x-**

After class, the twins were sitting outside near the bridge in Konoha, both going over the lesson that Iruka had covered with their class that day.

"I think tha-ack~!" Naruto cringed at the sudden pain in the back of his head, turning around as he yelled. A kid was standing with a grin and another rock in his hand. "Grr...you got a problem!?"

The kid backed away a bit, "you gonna tell on me? Who's gonna listen?"

Even as he said this, he had his feat pointed off away from them a bit, in case he had to run. Katsumi knew the sign of fear in the civilians. They always stood as if they would need to flee...as if she or her brother might just attack them. Katsumi put a hand on Naruto's and pulled him back over to her, "you are struggling here, so let's focus our time practicing where you are hurting the most."

"_Tch...where I'm hurting," _he muttered, rubbing his head. He understood what she was doing. She wanted them to ignore the kid...after all, if Naruto punched the punk like he really wanted to, it would only prove the smaller kid right. However...he didn't stop throwing the rocks, and little by little, Naruto was becoming more and more annoyed.

"...freaks...two little orphaned monsters in Konoha. I heard my mom say...it'd be better if you both just disappeared!"

"Ah!" Katsumi brought her hand to her forehead, her eyes widened as she looked at the blood on her finger tips.

"What the heck, man!?"

Naruto and Katsumi looked up to see Shikamaru, Kiba and Chouji standing behind the little bully, but that wasn't processed as much by Naruto, as it was Katsumi. No... Naruto was enraged, the sight of his sisters' blood had sent his blood boiling and he was pushing towards the kid as if he was gonna kill him.

Katsumi watched in surprise as Kiba intervened, blocking Naruto.

"Get out of my way, Kiba!"

"I'm good right here..." Kiba said seriously, holding Naruto back as he made to push past him.

Shikamaru kicked the bully in the back and knocked him forward onto his knees. He crouched down beside him and scoffed, "you should apologize to her, and then you should probably run away before her brother gets past Kiba..."

Chouji made his way to Katsumi and helped her up, shielding her away from the brat that was starting trouble with her.

"W-what?! No way!" The kid pushed off the ground and tried to punch Shikamaru, but the lazy kid only leaned away, "why would apologize!? The whole village says that they are monsters! All the adults say so!"

"Tch...you act like Adults know everything. My old man, says to form my own opinion...not to follow what the masses say."

"What does it matter to you if I bully them!? It's not even you I'm talking about!"

Shikamaru sighed, glancing over his shoulder at Kiba who was still holding onto Naruto, the blonde girl behind her brother was looking down at the ground with tear filled blue eyes, "well, for one, they are my friends...and two...you don't know anything about them...and yet here you are, bullying them because your mom doesn't know how to properly raise a kid."

"Watch what you say about my mom!"

"Why? Does it bother you? I'm not even talking about you...so what's wrong with it?"

The kid blanched, he looked at the girl, the two boys glaring at him and the kid to his right. "Tch...whatever...if you hang out with demons...you will become demons! Just watch...LOSERS, DEMONS! MONSTERS!" He yelled as he ran off.

"You should have at least punched him," Kiba argued, letting Naruto go before moving over to Katsumi.

Shikamaru sighed, "hey, I kicked him, didn't I?"

Kiba brought a hand up under her chin and lifted her head, looking the injury over, he grinned widely, "my sis can have that cleaned up quickly,"

The three boys formed something of a protective barrier around Katsumi and Naruto as they walked to the Inuzuka compound. Arriving, Kiba led the group inside and to where his older sister and mom were taking care of a dog. "Hey, mom...sis...one of my friends got hurt, you think you could help her out?"

Naruto's fists were clutched at his side as he listened to the younger of the women gush over his sister's injury. A bruise already forming from the rock that had struck her. Kiba had introduced them as Tsume, his mother...and Hana, his sister.

"You guys weren't rough housing with this little girl, were you?" Tsume gave her son a hard look.

Naruto frowned and looked at Kiba's mother, "nah...some kid was throwing rocks at us. One hit my sister..."

Katsumi moved to glance at Naruto, but Hana tugged her face back in her direction, "s-sorry."

"Haha, don't worry, I'm almost done. So... Kiba, Naruto and Katsumi?"

"Yeah...this is them."

The two women shared a look, both with twinkles in their eyes.

"There, good as new! You shouldn't even get a scar..." Hana smiled.

"...Kiba..." Naruto called out as his sister thanked Hana and returned to his side.

"Hm? Yeah?"

"...thanks for stopping me." He looked at his fist.

Shikamaru looked at Naruto and shook his head, "here Kiba was telling me that I should have punched him...you guys as such a troublesome lot." He sighed, "ah well, it could be worse I suppose."

Katsumi smiled, "oh yeah?"

Chouji laughed, "we could have friends like that kid back there..."

Tsume smiled at the boys and her eyes traveled to the girl. She knew the story behind the kids, but where in the hell did these parents get off gossiping about them like they were horrible creatures. "Katsumi, Naruto?"

Naruto and Katsumi turned back as they were almost out the door.

"Yes ma'am?" Katsumi replied curiously.

"...the way people treat the two of you, is a statement of who they are as a human being. It's not a statement about you...the only thing you can do to change how they view you...is work hard, stay focused and surround yourself with good friends that know who you are. So long as you are true to yourself...true to your friends and persistent in your studies and training...you can't do wrong. Konoha's "Will of Fire" burns brightly inside of both of you...so let it burn."

**-x-x-x-**

Waving goodbye to Shikamaru and Chouji who left back to their own homes, it was just Katsumi and Naruto again. They both walked home in silence, thinking over what Tsume had said. As they rounded the corner to their home, they glanced up and took in the view of the Hokage monument. It was probably that moment, when Naruto came to terms with the future he wanted, Katsumi however...was still looking for hers.

She glanced over the stone faces and sighed, "even though they were all strong, a good many of our Hokage's died very young...didn't they." It wasn't a question, she had been studying the Hokage's in class with Naruto, so Naruto knew she wasn't asking. "Not everything is supposed to become beautiful...and long-lasting, I guess. Maybe...people come into our lives to show us what is right and what is wrong." She smiled, "Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji...Genma, Tsume and Hana...they came into our lives to show us what was right." A hand lay gently on her shoulder and she turned her eyes to look into her brothers, "those who talk ill of us, and hurt us...they are there to show us what's wrong. But both of these people, they show us who we can be...and I'm thankful for that. They teach us to love ourselves...when there's no one's else around to do so...and I don't think that everyone is going to stay forever with us...but, we still have to keep on going, and thank them for what they've shown us." She looked back at the Hokage's stone faces, "...Honorable First Hokage...Honorable Second Hokage...and Honorable Fourth Hokage..." she bowed low, "thank you."

"...what about the Third Hokage?" Naruto asked curiously.

She straightened up and smiled, "he's still alive...so we should thank him in person!"

"Yeah...I guess so..." he stared back into the eyes of the Fourth Hokage and grinned, "I'll surpass even the greatest of Hokage's on that mountain face. I swear it!"

"Really?"

He grinned, "yeah...believe it!"

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is the first chapter on this story. I'm trying this a second time. Hope you all enjoy! I'll post the second chapter after I revise it some.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I...know who will be with who, but I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**A/N: Listen to Avicii's 'Hey Brother' cover by Jada Facer and Kyson Facer****  
****This was the inspiration that brought this story on~ I hope you all enjoy!**

**-x-x-x-**

_**Hey Brother!**__**  
**__**There's an Endless Road to Rediscover**__**  
**__**Hey Sister!**__**  
**__**Know the Waters Sweet but Blood is Thicker**__**  
**__**Oh~**__**  
**__**If the Sky Comes Falling Down**__**  
**__**For You~**__**  
**__**There's Nothing in this World I Wouldn't Do...**_

_\- Avicii (Hey Brother)_

**-x-x-x-**

**(Two Years Later)**

"Faster!" Katsumi yelled at her brother who was getting frustrated with his hand signs.

"I'm doing it faster, but that's when I make mistakes..." he growled, "damn! Why can't I get this!?"

Katsumi sighed, "stop, take a break...if it keeps going like this, you will just get angry and deplete your chakra."

Naruto frowned and dropped to the ground as he let an annoyed breath of air pass his lips, "I'll get this if it kills me."

"I know you will." Katsumi smiled, "I believe in you, Naru!" She heard a whistle in the air and her eyes narrowed as she spun around and caught a kunai that was heading straight for the back of her head, her near waist length blonde hair flared around her shoulders before gently settling around her waist. "Damn..." she smirked, "I get that "hellos" are a bit old fashioned, but you couldn't think of another kind of greeting?"

Kiba smirked, "that was my hello!" he walked up to the two and eyed her as she held his kunai out to him.

Naruto glanced between the two and scratched his head before placing his elbow on his knee and leaning on his palm, "be honest with me Kiba, you're trying to kill my sister."

Kiba grinned and shrugged, "you doin' anything today?" His question was directed to Naruto, knowing full well that Katsumi wouldn't join them in their misadventures.

"Nope!" Naruto jumped up, "I just finished training! Let's go~!"

"Naruto!" Katsumi watched as her brother and Kiba took off running and scoffed, pocketing her hands in her jacket as she glared in the direction the two left in. "...always causing trouble...you don't need help getting in trouble..."

**_(Flashback)_**

**_~Knock-Knock-Knock~_**

_Sitting on her bed, Katsumi glanced up from the book she'd been reading, _**_Chakra: Without Limits_**_. She flipped the book over on the bed and stood up, stretching her arms over her head as she walked over to the door. Now, ten years old, her brother and her had been academy students for two years and counting. Checking her appearance, she was dressed in a black tank top and a pair of orange sweat pants, presentable for answering a door._

_She turned the knob and was ready to greet whoever was on the other side of the door...but seeing her brother held out in front of Genma...was too much. She shut the door...hard._

"_Katsumi!" Naruto cried out as he struggled to get free from Genma who looked bored and amused at the same time. "Come on, open the door!"_

_She leaned against the door and glared at nothing, crossing her arms in irritation, "keep him!"_

"_...that would mean dealing with him more than I already care for."_

_She rolled her eyes and opened the door. Genma set Naruto down and raised a brow when a well-placed hook kick sent him flying inside their house._

"_Thank you for bringing him back...what did he do?"_

_Genma smirked, "stole the Hokage's head piece off his head...he was running through the streets with it on."_

"_..." her brow was twitching, and she slowly turned to glare at her brother, "I'll kill you."_

"_Haha! But think about it, Katsumi. I got it off the Hokage's head, and I totally out ran his bodyguards...not to mention out smarted!"_

_She turned to face her brother fully, pointing her thumb backwards at Genma as she did, "out ran his bodyguards?"_

"_...so one of them caught me," he shrugged, "I made him work for it though!"_

_Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Naruto, how the Hokage hasn't just thrown us out...I'll never know."_

"_I'll leave you two be then. Naruto...try not to cause your sister...or myself...anymore trouble."_

_Katsumi turned at the feel of the wind picking up behind her, a light blush on her cheeks as she stared at the spot where Genma was moments ago._

"_Hey, sis! I'm hungry, let's go eat!"_

_Clenching her fist, the flush along her cheeks vanished and she turned to return her attention to her brother. She would beat him until his future children got the point!_

**_(End Flashback)_**

She sighed and headed back inside the house. The least she could do was get in some more training and studying while the two were off causing mayhem. The plus side, Naruto was getting good at going undetected and concealing himself. Stealth was a major key to any Shinobi's chance of survival in their line of work, so Naruto getting in all the practice he could...that was great. She could just do without him causing trouble for Genma...and of course, the other Jounin who watched over the Hokage.

"Hm..." she looked over the books in a pile on the floor and saw one she hadn't noticed yet. "...**Art of Chakra Control**." She flipped it open and noted pages worth of highlighted dialogue...notations made and small bits in the corner of the page of reminders or notes messily jotted down. "...Naruto...you really are trying your best. A break won't hurt you..." she grinned, "I guess...I'll take one too! I'll go see if Shikamaru is up for a game of Shogi!"

**-x-x-x-**

**(One Year Later)**

"What do you think?"

"I think we need to make an exception this year...we don't have the necessary number of students for even teams of three...and the students this year...are exceptional."

"Even them?"

Brown eyes looked to the elder that stood overlooking the playground at the Academy. "...especially them. They started off with less than average scores, but something happened in their second year at the academy...I don't know the details, but they are both at the top of their classes academically."

"That's all fine, but academics won't get you too far on a mission. That's only half of being a Shinobi..."

"Yes, I'm aware of that, Lord Hokage. However, you saw yourself just what Naruto was capable of...he'd failed because of the Transformation Jutsu, and after studying that scroll for less than half a day, he somehow mastered a very complex version of the Shadow Clone Jutsu...that's saying nothing of how talented his sister is in."

A sigh slipped past the lips of the old man, and he turned to the Shinobi behind him. "Make a single four-person team..."

"Should I keep to the groups you'd already-"

"No... this new development...calls for a different plan of action. Go ahead and match them how you see most beneficial...I leave these teams in your hands, Iruka."

Iruka sighed as the older gentleman disappeared off the rooftop. "...I wished he would have just made the teams...I didn't want to be responsible for putting the teams together." Looking out over the edge of the roof, he watched the kids run around and play or train. It was interesting to see, but the safest place for Konoha's children, was in fact...the Academy. It was where they could interact freely with one another without the fear of their parents scolding them about who they spoke with...this was made overtly obvious when a couple of kids ran around a particular blonde duo. A smile graced his lips and he vanished from the roof as well in a spiraling swirl of leaves that were swept away by the wind.

**-x-x-x-**

The wind swept long blonde hair away as a few leaves fluttered down from the direction of the roof top. "Hm?"

"What is it?"

"Nothing...we should head home now, don't you think, Naru?"

Her brother pouted but didn't argue. He turned and waved to their friends, "see ya guys tomorrow!"

Katsumi smiled as he said her own goodbye before walking off with her brother beside her. Life was pretty good, even if it could be better, they found the strength to smile and laugh every day. They were rarely scolded in class...grades from strenuous studying and training made sure of that. Now...after all their hard work...they would finally be placed in their own Genin team.

"What's on your mind?"

"Tomorrow...you and I will be placed on a team."

"What if we get separated?" Naruto asked curiously as he played with a stone, kicking it gentle across the dirt road.

Katsumi frowned, "that had crossed my mind as a possibility, but...whether we are together, or apart...you and I... we'll do our absolute best to make our dreams come true. Right?"

Naruto grinned, locking his sisters' arm in his as he did, "yeah! I'll become the next Hokage!"

She smiled, knowing that somehow, he would become Hokage...maybe not the next one, but there was still plenty of time for his dream.

"Hey sis,"

"Hm?"

"You've never told me what your dream is..."

"...oh? I haven't? I'm gonna become, ah...never mind..." she blushed, looking down as they walked home.

Naruto frowned, looking at his sister as they continued home, but he didn't pressure her to tell him. He turned his attention forward and let his mind wander to the coming day.

Katsumi glanced back over her shoulder and her eyes widened when she met familiar caramel eyes. Quickly diverting her eyes, she glanced back up and waved with a smile. _'...I want...to become, like him...'_

**-x-x-x-**

**(Next Day)**

Katsumi woke up early, sitting up in the bed she and Naruto shared, she stretched and yawned from next to her brother. Looking around the living space they shared, she thought back to the years of solitude they'd fought through together. Nothing in their home, except for the necessities, clothes were only what they needed, and the money that they were given as an allowance from the Hokage, was saved away beneath the floor boards. Tendrils of blonde hair fell over her shoulder as she yawned again. Brushing the loose locks behind her ear, she looked down at the feel of an arm flopping into her lap. "Naru, come on..." she shook him, "it's time to wake up."

He rolled over and scooted away from her, as if he were pretending not to hear her. She knew he'd woken up though.

"Naru..."

"_Hm... it's still early." _The same blue eyes she shared, looked back at her sleepily.

Katsumi rolled her eyes, "get up, or I'll leave without you." She got out of bed and grabbed her clothes before she started getting dressed. Pulling on a pair of orange shorts and a black long sleeve cotton crop top, she grabbed her orange and blue jacket, same as her brothers, and tied the sleeves around her waist before grabbing a brush and running it through her hair. "Naruto!" She picked up a shoe and threw it at her brother who dodged by rolling forward.

"I'm up, I'm up!" He stretched and rolled out of bed. Getting dressed quickly before running to catch up to his sister who was pulling both her shoes on. "There, I'm ready!" He pulled a lock of her waist length hair and laughed as she swatted his hand away. "Wanna grab a bite at Ichiraku's before school?"

"No way! Ramen for breakfast? Let's go to the market and buy some meat buns."

Tapping his foot, Naruto looked away with his lips pursed. "Meat buns?" He thought hard for a moment before sighing, "alright then...but I want two!"

**-x-x-x-**

Iruka watched as his students ran to his classroom. They had plenty of time, but he was sure that the excitement was pressing them forward. They wanted class to start... _'heh...takes everything to even get them all to show up for class, now that it's the last day, they can't wait to get to class.'_

Stepping out of the way of the twins, he watched as they raced one another inside. Perhaps it was wrong of him, but he couldn't help but hold a sort of _favoritism_ towards the two. He knew, as a teacher, he shouldn't put one student over another. But their fierce determination had hit him hard and ever since they'd been placed in his class, he'd been rooting them on all along.

"Iruka-Sensei! Good morning!"

Another of his students grinned excitedly as they waved to him before making their way to his classroom. _'Today, is going to be the start...of a new adventure.'_

**-x-x-x-**

"Hahaha~" Katsumi laughed at the look of distaste she was getting from Ino and Sakura, two of the young ladies who were part of the schools _Sasuke_ Fan-club. "I'll move, I'm not strictly attached to the seat." She grinned as she shoved her way between the two girls who had moments ago yelled at her to move. Both went to sit down, but Naruto jumped in-between them and took the spot his sister had moments ago been sitting.

"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, "I was going to sit there!"

"Oh, seriously?" Naruto laughed, "my bad Sakura, you and I can share the seat, if you want it that badly."

Sakura blushed, fuming angrily at Naruto who leaned back in the seat. "No way!"

'_I can't tell if he likes her, or just likes messing with her...'_ Katsumi smiled as she took a seat in the back on the left of Shikamaru. Ino begrudgingly took the seat to his right as Sakura beat her to the other seat next to Sasuke. "There is entirely too much drama in this classroom."

"You noticed that too?" Shikamaru glanced from the corner of his eye at his Shogi buddy.

"It's really hard to miss." She laughed, "hey Sasuke," she winked at the boy in front of her when he turned to meet her eyes, "why not go on a date with me~"

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, and before he could even compute what she'd said, the entire female populace was barking over one another as they yelled and insulted the blonde female.

Katsumi on the other hand was laughing, her cheeks were flushed as she tried her best to catch her breath and calm herself down, but to no avail. She couldn't stop, it was too much. His fan-girls were a waste of perfectly good Academy space. She shook her head and looked up at the door as it opened, "morning Sensei~!" she called, catching everyone's attention. This had the whole class rushing to their seats as Shikamaru leaned over a bit.

"_You aren't really into the brooding type too, are you?"_

Katsumi frowned, and her eyes narrowed. _"I don't care for dating in general. It's wasted time that could be better spent on studying or training."_

He nodded his head and turned his attention back to Iruka who was checking to make sure everyone was present. Sighing and placing his head against the palm of his hand to hold him up and keep from falling asleep.

"Alright, today, you will all be sorted into teams of three, and because of the odd numbers, one group will be a group of four. Looking the scores over this year, you were all above average in your scores, even last place this year was above average…so, taking that into consideration, we chose to go ahead and push you all through. You will all be meeting the Jounin's that will be responsible for you today."

"How were the teams decided?" Katsumi asked curiously.

Iruka smiled, "I was the one that made the decision for the teams...and actually...before we get started. Naruto and Katsumi...come talk to me out in the hall."

The two exchanged looks and stood up to follow their sensei into the hall. Both were aware of the eyes that followed them as the door closed behind them.

"Sensei?" Katsumi said curiously, "is there a problem?"

Iruka chuckled, "oh no, nothing like that. I mean, yes...but nothing either of you did." He lifted his roster of the names of his students and looked it over before looking at the two students. "...I need to know, what you would like to do going forward. This choice is ultimately Katsumi's, but I figured Naruto would want to be out here all the same."

"What choice?" Naruto asked.

"Katsumi, you are adaptable and can work well with any of the team formations I've put together...so, I need to know, do you want to be on the same team as Naruto...or separated?"

"..." she looked at Naruto who was looking back at her.

"It's your choice, sis. You know I'll always be there for you, whether we are on the same team or not..."

Smiling, she nodded, "separated then. I want to see Naruto grow, but there is no way that will happen if I stay by his side...so, separated. This way..." she grinned, turning her eyes to meet her brothers, "we can meet our dreams with our own strengths!"

"Yeah, Believe it!"

**-x-x-x-**

Shikamaru looked up as Katsumi and Naruto both walked back in, followed soon after by Iruka who had a satisfied look on his face. Naruto went to sit back down but was confronted with Ino who had taken his spot almost immediately after he'd left the room. "Man... just take a seat up here, it isn't worth it to get into another argument over seating arrangements. Tch...so troublesome."

Katsumi sighed, "just sit back here, Naru."

"Hm~" he shrugged and walked to the back row and took a seat opposite to Shikamaru as Iruka got started calling the Teams out.

A couple minutes of listening to names drop, he looked up and caught Katsumi's eyes. This didn't go unnoticed by Shikamaru, who was listening for his name and hoping to whatever God was out there, that he wasn't put on Sakura's, Sasuke's or Ino's team.

"Team Seven, will consist of Sasuke Uchiha,"

"..."

Iruka continued, "Ino Yamanaka,"

Ino gushed in her excitement, "yeah~!"

"What? No way!" Sakura slumped forward and stared past Sasuke and directly at Ino who was sticking her tongue out at her.

"...Shikamaru Nara," he paused and watched Shikamaru's reaction.

Shikamaru closed his eyes, "...damn, what a pain..." he sighed.

Smiling, Iruka called the last name. "...Katsumi Uzumaki."

_"...hm..."__ She looked at Ino who was still giddy and Sasuke who was ignoring everything around him as if the whole process of becoming a Shinobi was below him. Her eyes turned to Shikamaru, the only one out of the three of her teammates that she knew well. __'This will be a trying test, but Iruka put me here over the other groups, so he must think I'll do well in this group.' _She laughed a little as she listened to the continuous complaining of most of the females in their class. "On the plus side, I get to be on your Team, Shikamaru." She smiled, listening as Iruka continued.

"Team Eight, Shino Aburame, Sakura Haruno and Kiba Inuzuka..." he heard a disheartened sigh from Sakura, but when nothing else followed, he continued to team nine, and finally, "Team Ten will be made up of Chouji Akimichi, Hinata Hyuuga and lastly, Naruto Uzumaki. Your Jounin Team Sensei's will be in here shortly to meet you all, so for now, gather into your groups and start to get better acquainted. I'm sure you guys think you know each other well enough, but in a team...well enough, isn't enough."

'_Well said Sensei! But...well enough is plenty enough for me...I don't really want to know much more about Ino...'_ She sighed heavily once more as she continued to think back on her choice. _'Maybe I should have stuck with Naruto. I don't mind Hinata, and Chouji is my friend too...' _she looked up as Ino and Sasuke moved over to her and Shikamaru, _'oh well, no point in looking back on past mistakes, just...move on. You've got this, Katsumi...you are an Uzumaki...for whatever that is worth.'_

Shikamaru frowned, the blonde he enjoyed hanging out with was deep in her thoughts and by the looks of it, she was being swallowed by them. "Hey!"

She jumped, looking just as surprised by his sudden outburst as Ino did. Sasuke glanced at him but didn't show any outward change of facial expression otherwise. "yeah?"

"Stop thinking so much, you're giving me a headache."

Katsumi blinked a few times before she smiled and laughed, "yeah, sorry about that!"

Sasuke watched the two from next to Ino who was making faces at Sakura who wasn't even paying attention to her own team.

Really, Katsumi wasn't sure about these teams...but, well...Iruka was a teacher, because he understood his students and saw growth and hidden potential where others couldn't...at least, that's what she assumed. Perhaps, there was some good in these groups...she probably...just... couldn't see it yet. _'Yeah, that's it. I just can't see it yet...'_

Naruto looked over at his sister and smiled at her, immediately lifting her spirits and re-energizing her as she acknowledged that what was done was done. After all, this was where she was. Now she'd have to fight to keep it, and fight to surpass where she was, to get to where she was going.

"Ah," Iruka looked over as the door opened and two Sensei's walked in together. "Kurenai, Asuma, welcome...Team Eight and Team Ten...come and greet your new instructors."

...Katsumi watched her brother disappear through the door after Asuma and realized, this wouldn't be the last time that she'd have to watch her brother leave without her.

"Damn...this may affect me more than I thought."

Stretching, Shikamaru nudged her in the arm, "don't think about it. I'm sure it'll be fine. He's a hard headed kid, and you? You are strong on your own, stronger than you give yourself credit. This will be good for you..."

She nodded, though still...the pain in her heart...it lingered...

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter two. I will have flashes of their childhood throughout other chapters, and I plan on making these chapters lengthier than my average stories. I hope you all enjoy~! I said this at the beginning, but please, listen to Avicii's 'Hey Brother' cover by Jada Facer and Kyson Facer. This was the inspiration that brought this story on~ I hope you all enjoy! Also, if anyone has any questions about why I chose to place those specific Shinobi with one another in set teams, feel free to ask~! I have a set explanation for each team already! *^***


	3. Chapter 3

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I already know who, but I'll keep it to myself for now.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

_**Well I had a dream  
I stood beneath an orange sky  
Yes I had a dream  
I stood beneath an orange sky  
With my brother standing by  
With my brother standing by  
I said Brother, you know you know  
It's a long road we've been walking on  
Brother you know it is you know it is  
Such a long road we've been walking on**_

_**\- Alexi Murdoch (Orange Sky)**_

**-x-x-x-**

Shikamaru sighed in what sounded like the most overbearingly bored way he could have mustered up. Ino was sitting with her chair turned against the wall and leaning back in it a bit so that the back of her chair touched the wall. Sasuke was in the first row with Katsumi, but neither were talking. Sasuke had his fingers laced together and his eyes were closed in his normal contemplative, brooding way. Katsumi turned a page of the book she was reading and flipped it back again to look at a diagram before moving to the next page again.

Ino looked at Shikamaru and the two towards the front before grabbing Shikamaru by the sleeve as she placed both her chair legs flat on the ground and dragged him down to the first row where the rest of their team was.

"Dang it, Ino, let go of me!"

Katsumi turned another page, completely oblivious to the complaining Shikamaru and Ino. She'd learn to block noise out after having grown up with Naruto and Kiba's louder than life antics. However, she wasn't used to anyone other than Kiba snatching her book out of her hands. That took her by surprise. She looked up at Ino and frowned, "please hand me back my book."

"What has you so distracted?" She turned the book over and frowned, "**Elements: the Way of Chakra****...? **You actually read this kind of stuff?"

"Ino, give her the book back,"

Ino complied and sighed, "where is this guy?"

"Not here..." Katsumi muttered, taking her book back from the blonde who rolled her eyes at her response.

Sasuke glanced at Katsumi who turned back to the page she'd been on. "What's that about?"

Ino and Katsumi both seemed surprised by Sasuke's curiosity, but Katsumi answered him without questioning it. "It talks about the different elements that correspond with different Jutsu's...Earth, Fire, Lightning, Water, Wind...then subgroups like Wood, Lava, Ice...there are a bunch of combinations of these basic Elements...things like Explosion Jutsu's become possible when you master the use of Earth and Lightning Elements...and Mist type Jutsu's become possible when you master Fire and Water style Elements. The way you manipulate your chakra enables you to use different Jutsu's that fall into these five Elemental classes, and then from there, they branch off into other subclass categories."

The door opened and the four turned to see a Shinobi enter the classroom. Katsumi closed the book and stood up from her seat, "are you our new Sensei?"

"...ah...yes I am. I am Kakashi Hatake..." he looked the four over, "I see, I was the one who ended up with four students, lucky me."

"...that...would be my fault." Katsumi frowned, "I apologize for that."

Shikamaru sighed, "why are you apologizing, Katsumi? He should be apologizing for keeping us waiting the last three hours."

Katsumi frowned and shrugged, "I feel bad, like...I'm just a tag along. It would be the same in any group...but still..."

Shikamaru took a lock of her hair in hand and tugged on it, "stop that. Thinking so much about useless stuff like this isn't healthy...for you or me."

"Hm? You two must be pretty close..."

Shikamaru turned lazy eyes onto their new Sensei and let go of Katsumi's hair as he leaned back against the desk behind him silently. Not bothering to give a comment to the man's statement.

"I see I'm not winning any popularity contests...that's fine. Meet me on the rooftop...we can get better acquainted up there."

He vanished and Ino turned an annoyed glare onto Shikamaru. "Watch what you say, idiot! You know he's our new Sensei, you should act more respectful!"

Katsumi walked past Ino and followed after Sasuke while Ino continued to argue with Shikamaru who walked off without saying anything to Ino. This group was already off to such a great start...as far as teamwork went, they were destined to fail if they couldn't communicate without the guaranteed insults.

"That book,"

Katsumi looked at Sasuke as they walked up the steps of the Academy staircase, making their way to the roof as instructed. Albeit, they were taking their sweet time. Why rush when their own Instructor didn't care if he was three hours late? Katsumi lifted the book in her arms, "this?"

"Do you mind if I read it when you're done?" Sasuke asked, honestly curious about the content in the book.

"Oh..." she held it out to him, "I've already read it. Go ahead and borrow it. Also, don't mind the scribbles."

Sasuke took the book and flipped through the pages curiously, coming across a foot note that took up the entirety of the blank space next to the books text. "Scribbles?"

She smiled, "I'm not second to you just because of my good looks, Sasuke. I got that place because I study my butt off." She pushed open the door and held it for him as he walked past her. "There is a poem on the first page..." she commented; Sasuke stopped on his trek to Kakashi who looked up from whatever book he had his nose buried in. Sasuke opened the book to the first page as she continued, "_If you show up to break me it won't happen, I am water, water doesn't break. If you need to prove superiority it won't happen, I am air, air will always rise. If you try to draw blood it won't happen, I am earth, your internal pain cannot penetrate my veins. If you try to suppress me it won't happen, I am fire, my light cannot be extinguished. If you try to control me you will fail, I am lightning, my actions are unpredictable._"

Sasuke looked away from the book, she'd read it word for word without having to even look at the page. His eyes took her in, as if he was trying to learn something from a blank page. He couldn't read her smiles, her eyes, nothing was right...not when he tried to figure out what secrets were hiding in her eyes or what she was thinking when she went silent and her face went expressionless. The expressions that she did show, were laid out on purpose, what she allowed people outside of her circle to see. He knew that much, because he'd also seen her when with her _circle_. It was very different from the Katsumi in school.

She grinned, "it's about the Chakra that we possess...making up the endless possibilities that we have inside. If you only know Air style Jutsu, it doesn't mean that you are limited to only Air Chakra...but you've not yet reached out to the other four Elements." She looked around and frowned when she didn't see the other two. "Ino! Shikamaru!" She called out, watching as Ino came running up the stairs and past her. Katsumi caught her wrist as she ran by, "where is Shikamaru?"

"I'm coming...tch...what a pain."

Katsumi chuckled and let Ino go as the platinum blonde glared at Shikamaru who lazily walked up the steps. He was clearly in no hurry to get to where they'd been told to go.

Sasuke reread the poem as he sat down and wondered how many times Katsumi had read the book that she'd memorized the poem. Closing the book, he turned his eyes to the man in front of him who was eying Katsumi as she waited at the door for Shikamaru. Sasuke didn't know her well, just that she was a smart student, and the twin sister of Naruto who was loud and always causing the females in his class to get angry at him. However, she was not Naruto. She was softer spoken, more studious and a faster learner.

"Finally..." Kakashi said, "everyone sit down, and we will start with basic introductions. You will give your name, and then tell me a little bit about yourself."

"...seriously..." Shikamaru yawned, "is this for your sake or ours?"

"Both, I would think." Kakashi said coolly, "how about you go ahead and lead us."

Katsumi laughed lightly at the loud noise Shikamaru let out at being forced to go first. "Sensei, what would you have us say?"

"...hm... your name, talk about things that you like and dislike...your future goals and dreams...stuff like that..."

Shikamaru sighed, "Shikamaru Nara...I like Shogi and sleeping. My disposition is to do as little work as possible...if it's too much trouble...I dislike it. Having a goal in life is too troublesome...things happen...it's easier to just go with the flow."

"So..." Kakashi eyed the boy caustically, "you probably don't have a dream for the future either then..."

"Goals and dreams are different...my dream...I really want to be just an average ninja making an average living...Marry a regular girl who's not super pretty, or super ugly. I'll have two kids, a girl and then a boy. After that, I'll retire when my daughter has gotten married and my son has successfully become a ninja...and then just spend the rest of my life playing Shogi...a carefree and leisurely retirement, dying of old age before my wife...that's the life I want."

Katsumi grinned, "I see your dream is still the same."

"Tch...it's rehearsed, thinking up a new dream is troublesome too."

Laughing, Katsumi shook her head, "all the girls in Konoha are pretty, Shikamaru. You'll be single for the rest of your life if you don't set your sights higher."

Shikamaru laid back and stared up at the clouds, "being single for the rest of my life...doesn't sound too bad."

"How did you end up so lazy and unmotivated?" She asked curiously.

Shrugging from where he laid, he commented, "laziness is the mother of all bad habits, but ultimately she is a mother and we should respect her,"

A sweat drop formed as she shook her head, "life goals..."

"...what about you?"

Katsumi pointed at herself, "you mean me?" She smiled, "I'm Katsumi Uzumaki, I like reading and I try to push myself to learn something new every day. Be it while training or simply something out of a book. I dislike the cold...and I hate bullying...with a passion. Um...my goals..." she looked in thought for a moment and frowned, "Sensei?"

He raised a brow, "hm?"

"You aren't going to tell anyone anything that we say, are you?" She looked at her hands in a fidgety way that spurred his curiosity. Her blonder hair was curtaining her face and he'd lost sight of her eyes in the mess of blonde.

"I won't say anything to anyone, it's just for the five of us to know. Trust is one of the most important aspects of being a team...that means knowing what to share and what not to share with those outside of the team."

She looked up at him and smiled, "...my goal is to become a member of the ANBU Black Ops...and my dream for the future, after succeeding in my goal prior to..." She blushed and looked away from his eye.

"Your dream?" Her goal had already shocked him, he wanted to know what kind of dream she had.

She looked back down, her eyes studying her fingers in a way that kept her calm, "do you know someone named Genma Shiranui?"

Interest peeked! "I'm familiar with him," Of course he knew him. He'd known him for many years and wanted to know more than ever what this twelve-year-old's dream for the future was.

She grinned, "I want to be like him."

A small breath of air escaped him unnoticed, he hadn't realized he'd even been holding it, but he felt relieved. "Like him how?"

"...Genma is amazing...he is an Elite Bodyguard to the Hokage and was even taught the Flying Thunder Formation Technique by the Fourth Hokage due to being part of the Hokage Guard Platoon. However, it's a technique that has to be used in conjunction with Raido and Tatami...that's what Genma said." She played with her hair self-consciously as she thought of Genma, "my brother has mentioned how he wants to be the next Hokage...and while I don't think he'll be the next one...I haven't a doubt in my mind, that Naruto Uzumaki will one day rise above all the looks of distaste and horrible name calling...he will gain respect and earn praise...and then...he'll be Hokage. When that day comes, I will be part of the Hokage Guard Platoon...and I will watch over and protect my brother. That is my dream for the future."

Shikamaru, Ino, Sasuke...her teammate stared at her, all contemplative as she twirled the long blonde hair around her fingers. Silence found the group, and no one had a follow up to what she'd said.

'_Genma...has made quite the impression on her.' _He nodded, "very good...more aspiration like that...would make for far better Genin." He eyed Shikamaru who scoffed and turned away from him. "What of you," he turned his eyes to Ino, and she forced herself to look away from Katsumi.

"Ino Yamanaka...I like flower arranging and training with my dad when he's available for such things." A small frown formed on her lips as she mentioned her father, "I don't care much for lazy people," she glared at the boy on her left, "my goal for the future is to become a strong Kunoichi and my dream is to have a family of my own that I can teach the Yamanaka clan secrets too...and...by that point, I'll most likely be involved in the Interrogation field...like my dad is."

Kakashi nodded, _'the girls in this group...have pretty solid dreams and goals.' _He looked to the last of the group.

"Sasuke Uchiha...I don't particularly like anything, and I dislike a lot of things...my goals are none of your business, and what I have isn't a dream...because it will happen...I will find a certain someone...and kill him."

Katsumi stared in confusion at Sasuke, trying to recall all that she could of him. _'He's the only survivor of his clan after it was massacred...'_ her eyes widened, "oh!" She covered her mouth at her outburst and blushed as she turned away from the four who looked back at her.

Kakashi sighed, _'I guess she figured out who he was talking about too...but the other two are still clueless...'_ he eyed Shikamaru, _'well, certainly Ino is clueless, but this one probably just doesn't care. These kids are all just as diverse and different as the elements themselves. From the way they carry themselves, to their dreams and personalities...this kind of team...is bound to have all sorts of friction sooner or later. This will be fun...but first...they'll need to pass my test.' _He chuckled to himself, gathering the eyes of the four Genin in front of him as he did.

The group of four silently sat before him, different thoughts were passing through their heads. Thinking over one another answers and regarding Kakashi with curiosity as well as they watched him patiently as he looked to be thoughtfully thinking over their answers as well.

"Each of you are unique...and that's good. Tomorrow starts your first day as a team, and we will start tomorrow off with a...a test, of sorts. Nothing like the ones you've had so far, I promise you that. No, this is a survivors field test, and you three will be required to be at the designated spot at six in the morning. Don't be late." He made to leave, but stopped and glanced over his shoulder, "oh...don't eat anything tomorrow...or you'll throw up..."

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter three, and you all now know Katsumi's dream for the future, that even Naruto doesn't know about. I hope you all enjoy~! Review, and let me know what you think, nyan!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I...know who will be with who, but I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**_She's a fighter, got that fire  
_****_When they thought she'd fade away  
_****_Throws a fist up, keeps her head up  
_****_Feelin' stronger everyday  
_****_When she gets down on her knees, she finds the courage to believe  
_****_She's a fighter, she's a figher  
_****_Who inspires, yeah  
_****_He's a fighter, he's a fighter  
_****_Who inspires me  
_****_He inspires me_**

**_\- Fighter (Jamie Grace)_**

**-x-x-x-**

Kakashi was standing next to Genma who was on Sentry duty tonight with Izumo, the latter's normal partner, Kotetsu, had been sent on a mission earlier that morning and Genma was dragged into taking over his shift.

"Visiting me, Kakashi? I feel so special..." He was bored as all hell, staring at the long unending forest before him as he waited for any signs of _anything_.

"Yes, well...I was wondering if I could bring out your inner gossip."

"_Inner gossip..."_ Genma muttered, "what are you talking about?" He turned his eyes to Izumo who took the clue and jumped up the wall and distanced himself a bit so not to overhear anything unnecessary.

"...Katsumi Uzumaki..."

"Katsumi?" Genma turned his eyes to Kakashi who raised a brow. Turning back to look out at the forest, Genma sighed and put his hands in his pocket. "If you have anything you want to know about her, just ask her. She's not the type to keep secrets that _aren't_ secrets."

"...you know then?"

"Know what?"

Kakashi frowned, he wasn't sure if Genma knew and was testing to see what all _he_ knew, or if he honestly was clueless, and if so...

_**"You aren't going to tell anyone anything that we say, are you?" **_

"Look, I don't want to play gossip mongrel, use your ninken for that."

"Hm...yes, I suppose that I could do that...I was just trying to figure out how she came to be the way she is. Stable minded...she's studious...and more interesting is her choice in career path."

"Oh, the ANBU black ops thing?" Genma nodded, "I think she likes the tattoo..."

Kakashi was starting to lean towards clueless, as far as what all Genma knew about the girl. "How did you meet her?"

He shrugged, "I ran into her while she was running from bullies with Chouza's son." He looked up at the sky thoughtfully, "she was...seven back then. Yeah...since then, I play the role of Delivery Guy in her life."

"Delivery Guy?" Kakashi didn't understand the connection between Genma and a Delivery Guy, but he was feeling pretty confidant that he the role he thought he played in Katsumi's life, wasn't the role she was hoping for.

"I'm always delivering Naruto to their place. You shouldn't have any problems with her, Kakashi...I don't know what you are worried about, but if it's Katsumi...she's more mature than the other Genin in Konoha...ask Iruka if you are unsure of something."

Kakashi got the clue, nodding at Genma's not so subtle _get lost_. "Thanks for your time. I'll talk with her if there's anything else that I'm curious about."

Genma nodded, still not looking at Kakashi. Once he vanished, he turned to the floating leaf that fell lifelessly to the forest floor. "...I don't know why he's concerned...she's twelve...I'm almost thirty..."

Izumo chuckled from up above him. Turning his eyes up to the younger Shinobi before sighing as the younger jumped down beside him. "You two must have been talking about Katsumi..."

"you noticed?"

Izumo shrugged, "everyone thinks it's cute...she's just crushing on you because you played her superhero. When the rest of the village ignored her and her brother, you not only noticed them...you paid them attention."

"You think it's as simple as that?"

"Kotetsu says it's no reason for anyone to get worked up over. Besides...even if she really feels something, or if it grows later...and this is my own opinion..." Izumo laughed as he turned away from the look on Genma's face. "...but even if it grows later...it's up to you and her to pursue something, not anyone else. Again...just my opinion."

Genma remained silent before he sighed, "...she's twelve...why is everyone taking this so seriously."

Another small laugh escaped Izumo, but nothing more was said between the two of them as continued Sentry duty in silence.

**-x-x-x-**

Naruto yawned as he walked back inside his and his sisters place. He found her sitting on their bed reading another book. Walking over, he sat down and let his head rest on her lap. "How was your day?"

She smiled, playing with her brothers' hair as she continued reading her book. "We were waiting for hours for our Sensei to arrive. Had to do the introduction portion today, and tomorrow is our first _mission_. Some survival test."

"Same here, we have to be there ridiculously early."

"How is your Sensei?" Katsumi asked, turning the page of her book as she spoke to him without losing her place in her book.

"Oh! Asuma-Sensei is really cool from what I can see...on the way back, I saw him talking with Shikamaru, actually."

"Yeah?" she looked curiously at her brother, "did you do any reconnaissance?"

He raised a brow, "as nosy as I was feeling, no. I just came home. Kiba had met up with me and pressured me into a few rounds of sparring. He was really upset with being placed on a Team with both Shino and Sakura...he said he and Shino doesn't see eye to eye, and Sakura during their introductions was just annoying."

"I mean, Ino kind of surprised me...personally."

"Oh? How so?"

Katsumi closed her book and slipped it under her pillow. "She...didn't mutter a word about Sasuke while we were all together. Maybe she just didn't have a reason to compare anyone, or maybe she's testing the waters of her teammates as much as we are her...but it was just...surprising. Refreshing, actually. Get up, go take a shower. I'm going to turn in for tomorrow."

"M'kay...oh, need help with your hair?"

"Could you?" She held out a band. Katsumi was thankful that, while growing up, her brother had taken to playing with her hair. This meant she didn't _have_ to braid it...he'd do it for her.

Sitting behind her with a brush and a squirt bottle of moisturizing oil. A few pumps of the light water-based liquid in his hand, he rubbed them together and ran his fingers through her hair, starting at the middle to the ends before running them from the scalp to the middle. He did this so that the bulk of the oils weren't on top of her head. Brushing her hair, he parted the long blond locks and went to work braiding them into two tight braids that fell down her back to her hips.

"There, I'll be back."

She nodded and laid her back to the bed and felt the day hit her as she finally gave into a yawn. She let her eyes fall closed and sighed, "Tomorrow...he'll be late again...I'm sure of it."

**-x-x-x-**

The next morning, Katsumi was sitting in the dark outside, shivering slightly from the cool chill of the morning air as she waited for her teammates to show up. In her hand, naturally, was another book she was reading. **The Untold Secrets to Strategic Battling**, and its many pages...filled with marks and highlights...but she was struggling with reading in the dark as she squinted her eyes before giving up and resigning to waiting on the sun to rise.

"Oh! You got here first..."

Katsumi blinked sleepily as she looked to see Ino walking over to her. "Morning," she barely mustered a half wave, "you got here pretty early yourself. I only got here a few minutes ago."

Ino shrugged, "I usually wake up early like this. My mom and I prep the flowers in the mornings."

"How late do you think he'll be?" Katsumi asked, laying back on the soft grass as she stared up at the still visible stars above them.

"...hopefully it'll be nothing like it was yesterday. Though, I think we all owe him an apology..."

Katsumi agreed. The way Shikamaru had spoken yesterday, and the unimpressed tone that the rest of them had given off...was more than a little disrespectful. "Yeah...you aren't wrong..."

A shuffle of soft steps came from their right and Katsumi waited for what she wondered would come.

"Sasuke! Morning!"

Yeah, it wasn't so bad if she only kept to that, but like she'd said to Naruto, Ino had surprised her by how _little_ she'd spoken of Sasuke. She'd expected her to be unbearable with Sasuke on their team, but she wasn't quite what Katsumi had expected. On the other hand, Sasuke was what everyone expected. Quiet, brooding...kept entirely to himself...

She frowned when she heard another set of footsteps coming from her right, knowing for a fact that Shikamaru would come from the left of where they were waiting, and there was no way Kakashi was _early_ if yesterday was any indication of his personality. She sat up and looked to her right, a smile grew on her face as she saw two people walking towards their group. "Genma!" She didn't know the other person beside him, but he was smiling and looked nice.

"Damn, it's hard to think that we used to be this little,"

"Izumo, you were this little not that long ago,"

_Izumo_ frowned, "how young do you think I am, Genma? You're only five years my senior." He laughed, "Katsumi Uzumaki, right?"

A blush stained her cheeks as she felt suddenly very self-conscious, "you know my name?"

"Of course," Izumo smiled, "the Uzumaki twins were famous in the Hokage Towers information network."

Katsumi crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed, "grapevine? Really? Besides, you wouldn't know anything about me if it was just the Hokage Towers gossip chain, you'd only know my brother by name. I'm a recluse..."

Izumo's eyes widened and he laughed, "yeah, that's true...well...you come up too every so often, so I won't say you are famous, but I am well aware of who Naruto is, and you two are unmistakably twins."

She smiled, "I'm cuter."

"...I'll agree, but only because you don't cause us any trouble." Izumo grinned, "I'll see you later, Genma." He waved to the other, smiling one more time in Katsumi's direction before walking off.

Katsumi followed him with her eyes when a hand found her head and she turned her eyes up to Genma. All eyes on the two of them, she didn't particularly care, but she could certainly feel the gaze of Sasuke and Ino.

"Don't get hurt...as a Genin...you are finally going to start going on Missions, and while you won't be doing anything overly dangerous yet...you can still get hurt."

Ducking her head, a bit, her eyes became shadowed by her hair and she nodded silently. "I'll be fine...you should worry more for Naruto...he's more reckless than I am."

"Hm...I wonder...the silent ones are always the most unpredictable." He dropped his hand and placed it back in his pocket before he started walking off.

"Oh...Genma!" She called out as she thought of something, "do you know anyone in Konoha who specializes in...bane or toxicology?"

He looked curiously at Katsumi and scratched his head, glancing up at the sky as it started lightening. From the distance, he heard light and lazy steps. Genma sighed and looked back at Katsumi, "I'll get back to you on that..."

She nodded, waving as Shikamaru walked past him and Genma left the mostly complete group to watch his back.

"What was Genma doing here?"

Katsumi smiled, "he just got off Sentry duty."

Shikamaru frowned, "he still gets stuck playing Guard?"

"Katsumi," Ino smiled at Shikamaru, "sorry to interrupt."

"Sure you are,"

Shaking her head, Katsumi gave her attention to Ino, "yes?"

"...you said you were looking for someone knowledgeable in poisons...if you aren't doing anything later, come with me to the flower shop!"

Her interest peeked, she nodded, "alright, sure."

**-x-x-x-**

**(Four and a half hours later...)**

Kakashi looked at his _team_ from where they were sitting with their backs to one another for the most part. Sasuke, Ino and Katsumi were sitting with their backs to one another as they used the other to lean on, while Shikamaru was sleeping on his back in the grass. "I see they are at least able to tolerate one another..." He looked at Sasuke and Katsumi, both of which were reading, and Ino who was playing with the flower petals of a small white flower nearby her.

"_I can't sit anymore!"_

His eyes moved back to the long-haired blonde, her personality doing a unique flip from what he'd seen yesterday. _'...hm...'_

She stretched her legs out and touched her toes, her forehead touching the grass as she tried to do something else besides sitting still. Finally, standing up and jumping lightly on the balls of her feet. _"Naruto and I would already be outside sweating from training...this is ridiculous...how are we supposed to trust our team leader if something as simple as punctuality is difficult for him?"_

"_Katsumi, you and I can train some...I'm not the greatest at offensive Ninjutsu though or Genjutsu though."_

"_We shouldn't...I don't know what he'll have us doing, but it won't be good for us to wear ourselves down."_

The entire time the girls spoke to one another, Sasuke and Shikamaru didn't budge from what they were doing. Sleeping, reading. For another thirty minutes, Kakashi sat on the branch getting in some reading of his own while every so often, he would glance over and watch the girls stretch, joined a little while later by Sasuke who finally put his own book down...then Shikamaru who was dragged over and forced to wake up, also forced to stretch by Katsumi. _'I see who is going to make the rules in this group...at least...it looks like they listen well.' _Putting his book up, he finally decided, now was a good time to reveal himself to his _team_.

**-x-x-x-**

**(With Genma)**

"I don't mind, but can I ask why?"

"A favor..."

"That's relatively vague, Genma...I'm offering up my skills here, and you won't tell me why."

Genma shrugged, "the kid asked if I knew of anyone, and three people came to mind...well, others came to mind, but they weren't Konoha nin."

"What about the other two?"

"One isn't here...and the other is in the Bingo book…"

Sighing, a man across from Genma nodded, knowing exactly who the other two Shinobi were that Genma had obviously thought of. "Who is this kid?"

"She's one of Kakashi's new Genin."

"...and she's asking about poisons? Aren't you being a bit overconfident in this kid?"

"Magire, would I ask you, if I thought she couldn't be trusted to handle such studies?"

_Magire_ eyed the man across from him, "...I can't be sure yet. I'll get back to you with a better answer once I meet this girl and talk with her. Hold up," he pulled out a notebook, no bigger than the palm of his hand, and scribbled a note in it. "Give this to her when you see her next. I'm off tomorrow, so I can meet her then."

Genma held the folded paper between his middle finger and pointer finger as he gave a small smirk, "I'll buy you a drink as thanks, see ya, Magire."

"...a drink...after this, he'll be buying me drinks to last me a lifetime."

**-x-x-x-**

Sasuke crossed his arms as he eyed the two bells, "two of us have to go back to the academy...or worse...we all do."

Katsumi nodded, staring at Kakashi who'd arrived about ten minutes ago and had explained that, they weren't passed quite yet. "...so it seems..." she looked at the nervous Ino and bored looking Shikamaru. _'Shikamaru isn't perturbed by this in the least...' _she frowned, "...is it...hm, Kakashi-Sensei, isn't it silly to place us in a team only to pitch us against one another?"

Kakashi shrugged, "that isn't really my problem, I'm just here to thin out the ranks."

'_...thin out the ranks...either, we work together and at least two of us go on...or we throw a fit, fight against one another, and no one goes on...how to make the others see that though.'_ She shivered as the wind blew hard around her, taking her hair with it as it wrapped playfully around Shikamaru who wasted no time in pulling a hair tie out of his pocket and handing it over to her. She laughed under her breath and pulled her hair back into a low ponytail.

"If you are ready...then you can start." Kakashi said as he pressed the button on the timer.

Katsumi, Shikamaru, Sasuke and Ino were out of his sight and hidden better than what he was expecting. Katsumi glanced around and took in the locations of the other three. Shikamaru was closest to her, with Ino across the way from them, and closer to Sasuke.

Crisscrossing her legs, she placed her elbows on her legs and pressed her fingers against her head as she closed her eyes and tried to think about what she should do. _'First thing I should do, is formulate a plan with Shikamaru. We need to work together...it's not a Genin we are going up against...Kakashi-Sensei is a Jounin...so...even if one of us was able to do it alone, we should move forward with the anticipation that we can't win on our own...'_ She preformed a set of hand signs and whispered softly so only she heard her voice. _"Hidden Leaf: Summer Rain Technique..."_ She felt the slight shift in the air and had no doubt in her mind that Kakashi felt it too. However, only Shikamaru would know that it was her technique. _'I'm young, so I can use that to my advantage. Sensei probably won't expect us to know more than the Academy Basic Jutsu...'_ She felt the first gentle dropped of rain and watched as Kakashi's brow dipped and he glanced up from his book. His eyes met the slightly graying sky above them, and he irritably snapped his little book closed before pocketing it. _'Next...'_ she moved through another set of hand signs, catching the eyes of Ino and Sasuke who were just now looking for her and Sasuke. _"Hidden Leaf: Summer Tempest..."_ as soon as those words passed her lips, a gust of wind brushed her ponytail over her shoulder and changed the terrain from a warm and sunny training field, to a fit of wind and rain. She looked to Shikamaru who nodded his head and the two of them took off to the other side of the field where Sasuke and Ino were still hidden.

**-x-x-x-**

Kakashi sighed, _'...must be the bookworm...'_ he shook his head and his rain-soaked hair flared out at the rapid shake of his head, but it did nothing as far as his wet hair went. _"...damn...I wasn't aware that I'd need an umbrella..." _He looked around and still couldn't see the kids, just barely detecting their presence at all. _'To make matters worse, I can't even read...you would think Katsumi would have a little bit of sympathy for a fellow book lover.'_

A shuffle of the bush behind him had him turning his eyes to it, but the new weather developments made it a bit more difficult to see behind the kid's movements and the tricks of the wind. A branch snapping and his eyes met a hanging limb from a tree, he sighed.

'_Waiting the paranoia out...is going to be the biggest test here. However, this kind of Jutsu...tends to use up Chakra fast...so, it won't last too much longer. She will make her move soon...unless...'_ He glanced around at the surrounding area, and was quick to realize, the kids were no longer where they had been prior to the change in weather. _'...a cover...to gather the others. Katsumi...Uzumaki. I think I like you...'_ he chuckled to himself as he closed his eyes and listened for anything that would clue him in to the new location of the four students.

**-x-x-x-**

Shikamaru nodded, _"If it works, it won't take us much effort to get the bells...the shadows are already in place...we just need to wear him down a bit..."_

"_Sasuke and you will fight him and then...Shikamaru and I will work together to hold him in place...but wouldn't it be easier to have one of us hold him and three of us fight him? On top of that, both Shikamaru and I will take the same damage as our ensnared victims..." _Ino sighed, her ponytail was becoming heavy in the rain and it was starting to bug her.

Katsumi smiled, _"true..."_ she glanced up at the rain clouds, _"that's why Sasuke and I will pull out all of the stops...but, we will do it together. You and Shikamaru won't step in until we've got him down a bit. It's been ten minutes...so we only have thirty-five minutes left...that means...preferably, in the next twenty-five or thirty minutes, we will have him in place for you and Shikamaru to step in... less if we are lucky."_

Ino gave a small incline of her head as she took in the role that she'd been given. It was true that they were working together, but she didn't know what that meant for them once Sasuke and Katsumi got ahold of the bells.

"_Ino, you will be responsible for getting the bells..."_

Her eyes widened, _"...me?! I thought you and Sasuke would-"_

"_No, it's easier for you to do it, once you take over his mind under Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu."_ Katsumi preformed a hand sign and four soft puffs revealed four perfect Shadow clones.

"_Hey...are you good?" _Shikamaru asked as he pointed up at the cloudy sky.

"_I'm still good...I'll drop both in a bit, once we get into place. Sasuke?"_

Sasuke brought his own hands together and preformed the same Shadow Clone Jutsu as four more of him appeared in perfect Sasuke fashion. The eight clones scattered along with Sasuke and Katsumi while Ino and Shikamaru stayed hidden where they would be able to see Kakashi perfectly, and on range to preform their attacks when the time came.

Until then...they would wait...

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter four, I hope you all enjoy, and let me know what you all think! I liked being able to change things up so much. There's no way for me to follow script with a different team. So this will be fun to write...till next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who will be with who. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

_**It's been a long journey, a long road  
Filled with potholes and obstacles  
I've fallen so many times  
It forged character though**_

**_-Push On (Surreal the Sound Providers)_**

**-x-x-x-**

Sasuke had two shadow clones in a tree, spread out and ready to move in. Katsumi was on the other side of the field and both could clearly see Kakashi. His other two clones were somewhere on the ground out of sight. He couldn't see Katsumi or her clones, but he trusted she'd act as soon as he made his move.

The wind slowly came to a stop, not in any way was it unnatural, but they'd already discussed the fact that Kakashi was probably on guard and would be more so once the wind and rain ceased. The rain was the last thing to halt in it's final few droplets. Once it was calm, his first clone made a move, with two shuriken flying at Kakashi who moved out of the way with relative ease. In the air, his second clone moved in from the tree tops and dived at their Sensei. Throwing a barrage of kicks and punches, but ultimately, he was caught and thrown against the tree he'd been hiding in.

_Poof!_

That was the first clone to get destroyed. He watched as two of Katsumi's clones shot towards Kakashi from different directions, another of his clones joined the fray, and the three made a pattern out of trading blows, Kakashi blocking them with ease as he twisted and maneuvered out of the way of all the on coming attacks.

Sasuke watched as suddenly their sensei's eyes widened, his foot halted when his foot sank into a puddle of muddy water. It was only a moment of pause, but it was enough! Sasuke shot out and caught Kakashi in the back with a foot as Katsumi jumped from the tree she'd been stationed in and delivered a twist kick to the Jounin's gut.

Kakashi grunted as he flipped back and landed with a hand on the ground. His eyes on all five figures before him. He watched as one of the Katsumi's pulled out a kunai before rushing towards him, an elbow in his back knocked him forward, and he frowned as he turned and grabbed the Katsumi behind him and pulled her before him. As the one running towards him continued, he figured quickly that it was a clone as she made to go through the clone to get to him. What he didn't expect was the _clone_ in his hand to take the kunai and twist downward in his arms and thrust towards him with the Kunai. He grabbed the kunai and wrestled it out of her hand before throwing it towards the one that had ran towards him.

It disappeared as the Kunai struck it down and he sighed. "...so...you are the real Katsumi...I'm certain of that, at least." She struggled in his grip, her long hair, despite the ponytail she had it in, was flared out over the arm wrapped around her waist. A delicate, sweet and floral scent drifted up from the girl's hair and despite the situation, he found himself relaxing a bit. "You are quite the energetic one...now that we are in this position, I don't see how this will end well for you."

"Sasuke, do it!"

Sasuke threw a set of Kunai and Kakashi avoided most of them with ease but he missed the one that Sasuke had thrown in the shadow of another. This one...hit Katsumi right in the stomach.

"Wha-"

_Poof!_

He looked at the Kunai that had struck him, though...not too deeply...still. He chuckled, _'I did tell them to come at me with the intent to kill me.'_ He pulled the kunai out and frowned, "you two... are quite impressive. Sasuke...how did you know that was a clone?" These kids were shocking in how they were fighting together.

"He didn't! AH!" Katsumi kicked him forward.

_Poof!_

She scoffed, "feeling a little nervous, Sensei?" She jumped to the center of the field with Sasuke and her side by side.

Kakashi stood before them and frowned as he stumbled a bit.

"...after all of that, you are finally fighting like we are enemies...it's too bad that it's too late now."

Looking up at her, Kakashi looked curiously at her before shaking his head suddenly, "what was on the kunai?" He felt dizzy, and his steps were sluggish at best.

"That Kunai I gave Sasuke to throw...was sharpened very recently with an Opium Poppy Seed soaked sharpening stone."

Sasuke's head snapped in her direction as he took in what she was saying. "What does that mean?!"

"It means...Sensei is probably feeling very relaxed and at ease...right now. His movements will be sluggish at best." She sighed, "I've recently become interested in plant toxins and the many symptoms that you can retain with the banes." She smiled, shooting forward, she raised a brow when he still managed to jump out of her way. "You are...kind of cool, Sensei." She laughed, "how long can you continue for though?" She swung a leg forward and knocked him backwards, he glared and pulled out a familiar kunai.

He moved forward and she vaguely noticed the shadow chasing after him as he moved in to strike her down. The kunai stopped a mere inch from her body, her eyes staring into his.

"...did I make you nervous? It was just a joke...Sensei. I would never use anything that could cause chronic problems, not when I throw these very Kunai at Kiba. It was just aromatherapy...nothing too bad, just a mix I made that causes slight loss in motor functions for a moment in time. Not long lasting..." she pulled a clip that had been attached to the underside of her ponytail and placed it in a plastic container.

_"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!"_

Shikamaru's shadow receding as Katsumi distanced herself from the kunai in front of her. Kakashi suddenly started moving and held out the bells to her. "How's that for teamwork?" Ino grinned from inside their sensei's body.

Smiling, she caught the bells as Ino tossed them her way, then released Kakashi from her mind transfer Jutsu. This whole ploy had been hers and Shikamaru's idea. As few moves with as little time as they had. Kakashi lifted his eyes and his hand with the Kunai gripped tightly in it, lowered as he sighed a bit.

Tossing the bells in the air, she tossed them backwards and listened as Shikamaru caught them. "How do you feel, Sensei?"

"..." Kakashi tightened his hand into a fist and looked at her. "a bit disoriented and somewhat perturbed if I'm being honest. Don't get me wrong...I'm impressed...still."

Shikamaru stretched and yawned as he made his way next to his friend. He looked up at the clear sky up ahead, "it's cleared up a lot..."

Rolling her eyes, Katsumi looked back at Shikamaru, "..." he shrugged.

"So, Sensei..." Ino frowned, standing beside her was Sasuke who was waiting to hear from their sensei as well, "who...are you sending back to the Academy."

Raising a brow, Kakashi chuckled, "did you really work together like that...thinking that you might go home?"

Ino blushed, "I don't think we did much...besides that, what else were we supposed to do?"

Shaking his head, he could feel his motor skills returning to their normal responses but there was still a slight buzz in his step. "You all passed...go home and rest, I'll see you each again at seven tomorrow morning, training ground seven. You can keep the bells..." he said before walking off.

Katsumi watched him and smiled as she listened to Ino yell out in her excitement. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," she grinned, walking off in the same direction of their new team leader.

**-x-x-x-**

Kakashi tried to shake off the effects of the aroma_therapy_. He was disinclined to call it _aromatherapy_. "It's supposed to relax me, I thought...not make me feel intoxicated."

"Like I thought,"

Kakashi turned and met Katsumi's bright blue eyes. "Are you not finished with your assault on my senses?"

"Well..." she tossed a small clear box at him and watched him catch it. "Thought I could help with your sudden vertigo." She smiled, "it's just lavender, you can relax with it while laying down and you'll be back to your normal self before the end of the night. Just take it easy, Sensei."

"What was it you used on me during the fight?"

Looking at the ground, she thought back to when she'd gotten in place with her clones. She hadn't really cared for trying the aroma out on her Sensei, but... to be on the safe side, she'd attached the lightly scented clip in her hair. "Dicentra Formosa...or, Bleeding Heart. I had only extracted the base liquid from the petals...to be honest, it's highly toxic and can cause a whole slew of problems if used in large quantities. Heck, I learned the hard way about a few of the side effects...trembling, staggering, vomiting, convulsions, labored breathing. That's only to name a few...but it's not lethal...just toxic." She waved before leaving him in front of the Memorial statue he'd stopped at.

"Just toxic...she says." Kakashi followed her with his eyes before he looked at the clear box in his hand that had a clear salve in it. "...an herbalist on the team...interesting."

**-x-x-x-**

"I hope it doesn't have any negative side effects. It shouldn't, being that it's only a mild measure of Alhucema...worst case scenario...he'll be really drowsy when he goes to use it, but...I said to do so at home..." Katsumi released her hair from the tie it was held in, the long blond locks fell all around her shoulders, still damp and wildly messy from the rain and wind she'd conjured up. "I did too much. Shikamaru suggested luring him into a trap and letting him take procedures towards capturing him...but...I wanted to be of use.

Talking out loud to herself was a strange oddity of Katsumi's, if the civilians of Konoha ever saw one. She would completely drown out her surroundings as she went over the events prior to her discussion with herself and wouldn't even notice the people around her. Muscle reflex and sensitivity to sound helped her to avoid walking into anyone, but they usually just got out of her way.

"Hey,"

She looked up and grinned at the familiar caramel brown eyes that stared into her blue ocean wide eyes. "Genma!"

"I talked to someone about your earlier inquiry concerning bane." He shoved his hands in his pockets as he fell into step next to her. The direction they were walking in wasn't towards her home. "He wants you to stop by tomorrow when you are available."

"He had no specified time?"

Shaking his head, he pulled a folded piece of paper out, "this is his address."

"...um...where am I meeting him?"

"His place, and don't worry...I'll be there too." He commented as they stopped in front of the ever-familiar bookstore she frequented. Holding open the door for her, he followed her inside, "just curious, but when did you start dipping your fingers into toxins?"

Katsumi shrugged, "I read a book on it a few months ago, and when I realized that a good number of those plants grew out in the forest and around Konoha, I got kind of enthralled at the idea of making a liquid base out of these toxins to use on my weapons and then to learn about antidotes, salves and creams to ease pains and help with wounds...it's a lot of different ways to take botany. There's a beautiful flower that is sold in one of the neighboring villages...I want to go there and buy one..."

"A flower?" Genma raised a brow, watching as she perused the books before pulling a few out that were side by side one another. "What kind?" He didn't expect her to flip through the pages of one of the books and turn it to face him. "The Sacred Darura...is a vigorous herbaceous perennial that grows thirty centimeters to one point five meters tall and wide. The leaves are broad and rounded at the base, tapering to a point, often with wavy margins. The flowers are the most striking feature, being sweetly fragrant white trumpets up to twenty centimeters long, sometimes tinted purple, especially at the margin." He glanced at the flower beside the description.

"Ingestion of the plant material can induce auditory and visual hallucinations and has potentially lethal side effects when used in excess."

"Good to know..." Genma handed her back the book and she placed it back on the shelf where she'd pulled it from. "Why do you want it?"

"Well...aside from the side effects I mentioned...it can also cause dry mouth, hyperthermia, profuse sweating, decreased sweating, impairment, drowsiness, restlessness, lethargy, psychosis, and anterograde amnesia..." she watched his eyes widen slightly and smiled, "not to mention...hallucinations and sensory distortions. These compounds also induce a profound dilatation of the pupils and suppress eye saccades, resulting in considerable degradation of visual acuity, often to the point of functional blindness. However, that's not all it can be used for. The powdered root can be used as an anesthetic and a narcotic for surgery and applying a poultice of root and flower meal to lesions helps promote healing on open wounds." She grinned, "just because something is classified as dangerous...doesn't mean it doesn't have the potential to do help someone."

He understood why she wanted the flower now; it was somehow a representation of herself. How the people of Konoha viewed her...and how she wanted to be viewed... he sighed, "have you eaten?"

"Not yet, Kakashi-Sensei told us not to eat breakfast so...no...and I didn't care to eat the lunch he brought since there were only three anyways. So...I left them for the others, if they decided to eat them at all or not, I don't know." Placing four books on the counter, she pulled her money out and paid for them, a smile on the little old mans face as he took the money and bagged her books for her. "Thank you!" She bowed and left the store, catching the door for Genma who walked after her. "Were you hungry?" She asked, her eyes trailing around the streets as she took in the kids, parents, shopkeepers and everyday civilians.

"I was thinking I could use a bite. You like Yakiniku, right?"

Nodding, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see her brother standing behind her, "oh...Naruto!"

Naruto grinned as he held a hand up, "hey! We are heading to Mikado Ryotei to celebrate passing, wanna join us?"

"I..." she looked up as Genma walked over to Asuma, "I guess so. I think Genma and I were gonna grab a bite there anyways. Oh, here!" Katsumi diverted her brothers attention as she knew he was gonna question Genma. She opened her bag from the bookstore and rummaged through it for one of the titles she'd purchased. "I thought of you when I saw it,"

Naruto took the book and read the front, "_**Essence of Ninjutsu**_, awesome...say...I was looking for the book on the different Elements of Chakra. Do you know where it is?"

"Oh, that..." she blushed, "I lent it to Sasuke."

"What!? Sasuke? Tell me you aren't falling for such a miserable kind of guy. He's...always so...ugh."

Katsumi laughed, "no...he asked if he could read it."

"...oh. Well, heck. I'll read this until he finishes then."

"Guys!" Chouji came between the twins and took them both by the arm. "Food! Now!" Dragging them off to Mikado Ryotei steakhouse to eat with a shy Hinata shuffling behind them and Asuma walking next to Genma. "I'm so hungry!"

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is the fifth chapter of this story. I must double, and triple check each chapter to make sure I don't make a mistake with then names. I use Kagome so often I sometimes slip and write Kagome instead of Katsumi. If you guys come across any other mistakes, let me know! Review, and tell me what you all think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who will be with who. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

_**You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser  
You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger  
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together  
All I know, all I know love will save the day  
Herald what your mother said  
Read the books your father read  
Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time**_

**_-You Gotta Be (Des'ree)_**

**-x-x-x-**

She'd realized too late just how packed she'd made her day. Standing at the address on the paper, behind her was none other than Genma who was watching her as she stared blankly at the door. Contemplating on knocking or passing out.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"...yeah..." she knocked on the door and a mutter and shuffle sounded from the other side before it opened to reveal an equally sleepy looking gentleman. "..."

"..."

"Magire, this is Katsumi...Katsumi..." Genma pointed to the dazed male in front of him, "...this is Magire."

"...she's so small..." Magire sighed, "I forgot how small genin were."

"That's a rather small minded comment. Genin aren't all twelve-year old's, they can be the same age as you, in fact."

"...fine, fine. I just wasn't expecting you to be so...small."

Katsumi glared but Magire just chuckled and held his door open for them. "Downstairs, you can both go ahead, I'm gonna change."

Genma led Katsumi down the hall and downstairs where a plain door was lit by a florescent light. He opened it and walked in first, before letting the blonde pass him by. There was a metal table situated in the middle of the room, above it was a hanging rack with tools and containers of various sizes. Running along the walls, there were plants, some boxed up in a clear container, perspiration clear as day on the glass walls. There was a large book on the table, a pencil lay next to it and what looked like open notes beside the pencil. A water bottle with a spray top was on the counter to his right and there were a bunch of small pots of soil scattered around the room.

"Alright! Katsumi Uzumaki..." Magire walked in and around the two, closing his notebook and sliding it away before placing his book and pencil on top of said notebook. He pulled a stool from under the metal table and produced two more from the other side where he motioned for her to sit. Genma caught on and sat in the third available seat. "A little birdie told me that you had an interest in botanical recreation. Why, if you don't mind me asking...are you interested in poisons?"

Katsumi smiled, "...I'm interested in more than just poisons, I'm interested in the healing properties just as much as I am the fatal properties. I want to learn how to utilize plants around me, as both a weapon and a remedy."

"You said she's twelve?"

"I said she could handle it."

"Yeah, you did. I just wasn't expecting that kind of answer." Magire laughed, "I'll see where it goes, but I don't have a problem with it. I usually work Sentry in the mornings, so any time after five, and you will find me at home. For now, let's go ahead and see how far your knowledge stretches, this-"

**-x-x-x-**

Naruto was walking through the streets of Konoha with Chouji and Hinata on either side of him. Both talking about the missions that they'd be taking on, they had already started, but Naruto could hardly call _walking a dog_ a mission. He sighed in irritation.

"N-Naruto...are you o-okay?"

Her voice had a strange soothing quality to it, but her nervous disposition bothered him. He smiled, "I'm fine, I just...really want a real mission. Seriously...what challenge does "babysit a dog" hold?"

"The easier the mission, the faster we finish, the sooner I can eat."

"...Chouji, I'll buy anything you want to eat for a month if you can help me convince Asuma-Sensei into getting us harder missions."

Chouji's ears twitched a bit, and Hinata gave him a curious look as he seemed to be contemplating what Naruto was offering.

"Naruto...don't make promises you can't keep."

The three turned around to see Shikamaru and Asuma standing behind them.

"Again? You two hang out quite a bit..." Naruto leaned in till his nose was barely an inch away from Shikamaru's, "what's your game, Nara? Sabotage? Espionage?"

Shikamaru waited and smirked, "like I'd waste my time trying to sabotage your team, and I don't need to deal in espionage; you tell your sister everything. I came here to tell you that your sister would be home late."

"What?"

"Yeah, she's going to be out with Genma till early morning."

"Genma..." Naruto growled. "Where are they!?"

"I'm not telling you. You are hot-tempered and stubborn; don't worry, she'll be home around two." Shikamaru watched Naruto with interest as he seemed to start boiling in his annoyance, "...those are her words."

"I know!"

"N-Naruto..."

"..."

Shikamaru had to stop himself from laughing. As uncharacteristic as it might be for him, he enjoyed tormenting his friend like this. Katsumi was a prickly subject when it came to Naruto and Shikamaru and Kiba both knew how to rile the boy up. "I'll leave you with one last thing she said."

"What's that?"

"She said..."watch me"...I'm sure you know best what that's about. I didn't ask, just told her I'd tell you." He shrugged and turned on his heal, "I did my part, later Naruto, Asuma-San...thanks for the game." He waved his hand and left.

Naruto was half fuming and half grinning, "she's going to pass me up if she keeps up like this." He looked at his hand and tightened it into a fist, "Asuma-Sensei!"

"Hm? Yeah, what is it?"

"Give us harder missions! I know that Genin take up the D-Ranks, but we also can get C-Rank missions too!"

Asuma sighed, "not yet, Naruto. Kakashi's team isn't going on C-Ranked missions either, they are still training, gauging one another as teammates. Get to know who you are working with first, and then I'll see about getting us a C-Ranked mission."

Naruto didn't seem too pleased by this, but then, he didn't argue either. Instead, he turned to Hinata and Chouji and grinned, "we've got another eight hours before the sun sets...lets head back to the training field!"

"...N-Naruto..." Hinata stared at him for a moment before smiling, "r-right!"

"I don't have a problem with more training, but can we eat first? I'm starving..." Chouji dropped his hand to his stomach and frowned, "I could eat a hundred bowls of Ichiraku Ramen..."

"Actually, now that you mention it..." a grumble sounded from Naruto's stomach and he laughed. "I'm hungry too."

"You kids..." Asuma sighed, but shaking his head, he ushered the three off to Ichiraku's with a smile in place. He thought it was funny how Kakashi's team was motivating his team to push themselves harder. Specifically, Katsumi and Naruto were pushing one another...which resulted in his team being pushed, and probably Kakashi's as well. His eyes strayed to the loud blonde as he laughed about one thing or another, leading Chouji and Hinata off towards Ichiraku's with the promise of free food from the Sensei. He wasn't into fortunetelling, but he was hopeful that this team would bare many great fruits of labor.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter six! Revieeeeeeeew~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who will be with who. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

_**They say you get stronger in the broken places  
When you lean into the crisis that your facing  
In your weakness your made strong  
They say when you've fallen off a horse  
The first thing you gotta do of course is  
Climb right back on**_

**_-A Fighter (Gwyneth Paltrow)_**

**-x-x-x-**

Naruto turned from his place on the bed, the sound of his studious sister coming through the door drew his attention away from the task of removing his gear. "Hey," he barely managed a murmur as he finished pulling off his shoes and tossing them next to the bed.

"Did you just get home?" Katsumi frowned, "it's almost two."

"Ah, yeah...you've been studying so hard, I have made it a point to work just as hard training. Shikamaru and Asuma started playing Shogi with me, but for the most part, I train."

"Alone?"

"No, no! It's a group of us. Since you are studying your plants, Shikamaru and Kiba, along with Chouji, Hinata and I, have taken to training after hours."

"Kiba?"

"Mm...he's having difficulties adjusting with his team. You got Shikamaru and I got Chouji, Kiba is alone as far as friends go. He has Shino and Sakura. Though, they aren't horrible, his words, he says it's really hard for them to see eye to eye."

"Kiba..." Katsumi frowned, "I miss him."

"Yeah, well...he misses you too." Naruto sighed, "he really is like a puppy. You know?"

"Give him so much attention, when you stop, he whimpers?" She chuckled, "I think it's cute. He lost his sparring partner, as for me? I'm irreplaceable."

"How did I end up with such a cocky sister?"

Katsumi shrugged and finished removing the loose gear she carried daily, tossing her orange and blue jacket on a chair, she was honestly too tired to shower, but she dragged her feet all the same.

"_**Be quick!"**_

She laughed to herself as her brother yelled at her. Closing the door, she started the shower and tested the water before she pulled off the remaining clothes, her orange shorts and black crop top. The shower seemed to be washing all the muscle aches away and she fought off a yawn as she washed her hair. She was having so much fun learning from Magire. Though, sadly...Genma wasn't tagging along for her lessons anymore. He'd only done so the first lesson because she had felt nervous about training with some stranger. Over the last couple of weeks, she'd also taken Ino up on her offer and met her mother who, to Katsumi's surprise...was more then willing to provide a few of the plants she was looking into at slightly lower prices. Over the last few weeks, she had only seen her brother at night or in passing at the Hokage's tower, not much else though. The missions that her and her team were getting were all mostly D ranked, but today...

"_**Hey!"**_

Katsumi jumped and finished washing the conditioner out of her hair, "I'm getting out!" She called back, silently hoping that she and her brother weren't waking anyone up, but doubtful that they weren't disturbing _someone_. She turned the steaming water off and rung her hair out before grabbing a towel and drying off. She scoffed out of irritation when she realized she'd forgotten her clothes, "...damn." She walked out with the towel tightly secured around her body, "it's all yours."

"What took you so long?" Naruto watched her for a moment, not missing the fact that she was completely distracted. "Hey, Katsumi..."

"Hm?" She pulled her clothes out of the dresser she shared with her brother, "yeah? What is it?"

"Well, you look unfocussed...what's on your mind?"

"Ah, nothing really. My team and I received a C-Ranked mission today, so I'm going to be away for a bit."

"**Wait...what?!"**

"_Shh~!"_ She turned around so fast; her hair whipped dangerously around her as she glared at her blushing brother. "Why are you yelling?!"

"...well...I want to go on harder missions too!"

"You know the saying, "Ask, and you will receive. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you" right?" She smiled when her brother nodded, "well, Sasuke asked this morning, and the Third told him he'd look into it while we were taking care of the missions we currently were assigned...or so the story goes. I was running an errand for Kakashi-Sensei when this happened. I heard about it through Shikamaru. Now, go shower...talk to the Third tomorrow if you really want a C-Ranked mission."

"Right, right..."

She yawned again. Exhaustion starting to set in as she pulled the towel off at the sound of the bathroom door closing, dressing in her undergarments and one of her brothers oversized black t-shirts. She climbed into bed and passed out before her head even touched the pillow.

When Naruto came out, he found her laying asleep on the bed, the blanket in a ball still in the middle of their bed as she was too tired to pull it over her. "Katsumi, you are studying too much. You need to take care of yourself too." He sighed, taking the balled-up blanket and lifting it before unraveling it in the air and letting it drift weightlessly down over the bed, successfully covering his sister before he climbed into the bed and fell into his own desperately needed sleep.

**-x-x-x-**

**(Next Day)**

"Come on, I know you've got to have something!"

The third Hokage looked at Naruto and smirked, "so desperate to move on to the harder missions? I guess you heard about your sisters' mission." Shaking his head, Sarutobi sighed and shifted through scrolls before taking one and tossing it to Naruto. "I knew you would come to me, so I kept this one...it's a C-Rank...nothing all that hard, a Jeweler in the Tanzaku Quarters...he needs an escort from Tanzaku to the Hidden Waterfall Village. This is an easy mission of getting from point A to point B with your Client."

"...do you mind if I ask...what kind of mission Katsumi was sent on?" Naruto was honestly curious, but not desperate to know.

"Similar to yours, Team Seven was sent off on an escort mission, her client was in Konoha, so they are delivering him to The Land of Waves."

"Alright then..." he worried, but he knew his sister had somewhat of an advantage over his team. Since there were four Genin on Team Seven as opposed to the normal three...he knew she'd be fine. "when do we leave?" He grinned.

"Preferably, immediately."

Asuma nodded, "then we will meet at the Village gates in two hours."

"**Hai, Asuma-Sensei!"**

The Third watched the three Genin vanish and smiled, "Shikamaru had been right on the money."

"Shikamaru?" Asuma raised a brow.

"After we gave the mission to them, Shikamaru commented how Naruto would be pounding at my door as soon as he realized they got a C-Ranked mission. I'm just glad he waited till morning. Asuma, just curious, but how is their training going?"

"It's going great, actually...I was a little worried at first."

"About?" Iruka, who'd been quiet up until now, looked away from a list of the missions they still had to assign.

"Their introductions had me a little worried."

"Oh?"

Asuma looked at the Third and chuckled.

_**-x-x-x-Flashback-x-x-x-**_

_Looking over his shoulder at the three Genin that followed him outside and to the rooftop of a nearby lookout, Asuma wondered what they were thinking. They each had excited looks on their faces, but one was nervous, another seemed restless...while the last was looking a bit impatient. Once they were all sitting and he was able to get a better look at them, he relaxed against the wall behind him. "Let's go ahead and get to know one another. Since we will be a team, we should take time to learn a bit about one another."_

"_What should we say, Sensei?"_

_Looking to the blonde, he felt relieved that they weren't just staring blankly at him. There was interaction, and none of them seemed against having one another on their team so far. "Let's do the basics and start with your name. You can follow up with a couple things that you like and dislike, what your hobbies are, your future goals, and what your dreams for the future are."_

"_S-Sensei...c-could you start?"_

'_She's a shy one...' he smiled, the girl looked to be kind enough, but that shy disposition worried him. He'd have to work with her on that. "Sure, my name is Asuma Sarutobi...as you can probably gather from my last name, I am the son of our Third Hokage. Things that I like? I like my smokes, my time off from missions and Soba with tororo...I dislike anything with Asparagus. My hobbies include playing Shogi, and taking strolls in the Village streets of Konoha. Goals...hm...I currently don't have any, but I guess, my dream for the future...is to see to the growth of my team...and the success of your dreams. Now...let's start with you..." he made it a point to call out the girl._

_Bowing her head, she twiddled her fingers. "M-my name...it's Hinata H-Hyuuga...I like...to look out at the l-lake...and to...um...well...th-there are some...who...inspire me...a-and I like...to w-watch them t-train." She blushed horribly and ducked her head as she started to shake._

"_Geeze Hinata," the blonde laughed, "take a breath, you're going to have a heart attack."_

"_R-right! Um...I-I don't...really...dislike anything. I w-wish I was better...at a lot of things, so I-I guess you could s-say...I dislike...myself." Again, her head bowed down, this time, she wasn't shaking, she was staring sadly down at her feet. "I don't know about my h-hobbies...m-mostly I just practice a-alone...and..." she shook her head, "I have...I have many goals...p-personal goals. I-I want to be m-more confidant...a-and...I w-want to be a b-better me!" Tears swelled in her eyes as she said this, "I want to b-becomes a stronger Hinata! Until I r-reach my goals...I-I can't even think about m-my dream f-for the future."_

_Asuma stared at her and watched as a hand settled on her shoulder from both sides. The two boys said nothing until she looked up at them._

"_Hinata...if those are your goals, then as your teammates, we will help you...Believe It!"_

"_Yeah, all of us have things about ourselves that we wish we could improve. You aren't alone..."_

"_Y-you guys...thank you...N-Naruto...Ch-Chouji...thank you!"_

_Asuma sighed but smiled as he watched the two calm her down. Finally, after a few minutes, she calmed herself, still blushing, still bowing her head, but much calmer. "Who wants to go next?"_

"_I'll go. I'm Chouji Akimichi...I love food, all foods, but my favorite food is Korean Barbecue and Pork Fat Flavored potato chips! I dislike when people call me Fat or Fatso...I also dislike training. My hobbies include buying different snacks and trying and comparing them, the same with Ramen and Meat! Naruto and I are always comparing Ichiraku's Ramen but we clearly have different views, not like that's bad..." he laughed when his friend gave him a glare. "My goal is to try every type of Ramen and Meat...and my dream...for the future? Hm...I don't have one." Chouji shrugged, "though, if we are talking about the near future, I'd say my Dream is eating at Ichiraku's tonight."_

"_I think we can do that,"_

_Asuma watched the blonde laugh, "very well...what about you?"_

"_I'm Naruto Uzumaki, Believe It!" Naruto stood up between Chouji and Hinata, "I like Ramen, and while I don't like studying, I like improving! I enjoy training and train often with Kiba! I dislike when my sister nags me to study, and I absolutely can't stand Genma! I mean, alright, that's not true. Genma is pretty cool, I just don't like him around my sister!" Naruto formed a fist and glared at it._

"…_uh…huh. Hobbies?"_

"_My hobbies? Those include training and trying to learn different Jutsu in my free time. I'm not quite as good at that as Katsumi is, but I'm not horrible at it. Trying different Ramen's, and reading...if the topic is interesting. My goals...I guess, as far as my goals go, I want to better my Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu...my Chakra Control too...I suck at Genjutsu, so focusing on bettering that would be great."_

"_What about your dream for the future?"_

"_Oh...that's easy...I'm going to be the next Hokage...Believe It!"_

"_...N-Naruto..." Hinata blushed as she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes._

_Chouji was smiling at the confidant blonde, "you sure you're cut out for it?"_

"_Of course I am! I will show everyone, my sister and I...we are just as good as anyone else in the village. More than that, I want to show them that they can trust us to protect them. We aren't monsters! We are Shinobi of Konoha…and we will protect them...watch us!"_

'_...such an interesting set. Hinata...needs to work on her confidence...she's so shy and mellow...whereas Naruto has enough confidence that the other two can ride his coat tails, he's got so much to spare...Chouji has no interest in training, but it looks like he will work well with Naruto. This team...will be interesting to say the least.'_

_**-x-x-x-End-x-x-x-Flashback-x-x-x-**_

"Yeah, when they introduced themselves, I wasn't worried about them listening to me or even their teamwork...I was worried about how their styles would mesh together. Needless to say, they surprised me. Naruto has stepped up into a position where Hinata looks up to him and Chouji listens to him. However, Chouji will argue flaws in Naruto's logic when he sees them, Naruto is open to it and listens. He's a bit headstrong though, especially when it concerns his sister. She's a focal point for his drive to push himself and succeed, which pushes his team to succeed. Yeah, it's going well..."

Iruka grinned, "Naruto is great. Katsumi is, much like Sasuke...a prodigy in her own right. However, Naruto had to push himself harder to keep up with her, and now the two of them are neck and neck in their training. Katsumi will always be ahead of him in her studies, but that's because it's something she enjoys, whereas Naruto can't really stand studying and only does it if it concerns something that directly affects him. I look forward to seeing how they grow."

"I as well, am looking forward to seeing their growth..."

Asuma looked at his father before thinking back to his team and excusing himself. He liked his team, so for them, he would also push himself to see to it that they succeeded where they needed to and wanted to. It was a promise...

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter seven of Then There Were Two~! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who will be with who. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

_**The cure and the poison  
The loss and the gain  
Escaping once again  
The cause and solution  
The pleasure and pain  
All run through my veins**_

**_-The Cure and The Poison (Clawfinger)_**

**-x-x-x-**

Kakashi watched the team around him, the client before him was walking with Ino on one side and Sasuke on the other, ahead of them was Katsumi. Looking to his left, he watched as Shikamaru followed their surroundings with an analytical look in his eyes. He was taking in every detail around them, and yet, his eyes would wander over his teammates continuously as they walked. "What's on your mind?"

"Don't you know?" Shikamaru asked, though his tone lacked any real curiosity.

"If you mean _that_, then don't worry about it."

Shikamaru looked up at Kakashi, giving nothing away on his face, he turned his eyes back ahead and looked curiously at the Bridge Builder that they'd been instructed to deliver to the Land of Waves.

'_I shouldn't be surprised that Shikamaru noticed.'_ Over the last couple of weeks, he'd become quite attentive to the unique skill sets that his team possessed. He'd seen how well Ino worked with Shikamaru, and he had seen how well Katsumi worked with Sasuke...it crossed as well. While Ino and Shikamaru were preferable as partners, there was no question to how well Shikamaru worked with Katsumi or Sasuke. In fact, the star of his team, intellectually...was Shikamaru. Ino was a flower that was coming into her own, she seemed to be trying to figure out a place in every lineup she could. Her abilities were best for espionage and infiltration, that was for sure. However, he had noticed that she'd been spending some extra time focusing on her Taijutsu when not with the team. Then Sasuke was another jack of all trades. He was, very similar to his brother. While Kakashi wouldn't say that out loud, he couldn't ignore the similarities of their fast learning and exceptionally talented lineage. The Uchiha bloodline was a commodity to the team. His eyes lingered on Sasuke for a moment before moving on to the blonde ahead of the team. He watched her head shift in direction every so often, her eyes no doubt taking in their surroundings.

Katsumi was hard for him to follow. She thought herself more mature than the rest of the team, which...wasn't completely wrong...but wasn't entirely correct either. She was a fast-paced studier, with above average Ninjutsu, subpar Genjutsu and a little more than decent Taijutsu. Rather than better improving her Taijutsu and Genjutsu, she had been focusing on her knowledge of plants. He'd had a chance to see her generous collection of miniscule clear acrylic jars. Various things written on the caps and color specified with the colors Red, Blue and Green. What it all meant? He couldn't be sure...but...that she was so thorough meant that he probably should proceed cautiously with her _collection_.

He looked over at the Bridge Builder. Kakashi wasn't blind, he knew that everyone's first impression of the guy was that he was a drunk...Shikamaru himself had said that he was too much trouble. They had all seen him toss back the bottle of rum he'd been drowning his sorrows away in. On top of that, he'd done a great job bad mouthing his students when he'd met them the night before. Then... Katsumi had the misfortune of walking into him when he'd stumbled out of the room. She had been coming back from an errand that he'd sent her on. Yeah... the way he'd insulted her for his clumsiness, that had just put Shikamaru in a foul mood.

"Ah! Kakashi-Sensei!"

Eyes widening, he reacted to Shikamaru's voice just in time for chains to shoot out and wrap around him. Just in time...

"Sensei!"

"Kakashi-Sensei! Shikamaru!"

**-x-x-x-**

Shikamaru looked at the two shinobi who had attacked and moved his hands, "protect Tazuna!" Not like he particularly cared about the guy, but it was their mission. As pathetic as he personally thought the guy was, drowning in alcohol and insulting him and his teammates for being kids, he would do as his mission entailed.

His voice carried as he forced himself to speak after watching the bladed chains rip through his Sensei. No, he knew that Kakashi was fine. Out of sight, out of mind? Whatever it was, he was watching and waiting, and they needed to be actively protecting the Bridge Builder. When the two shinobi shot towards Ino, Sasuke and Katsumi, completely ignoring him, he realized that he and Kakashi were not the intended target. Seriously, he doubted it was anyone on his team, but to be sure... "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" His shadow stretched out and managed to ensnare one of the Shinobi, but the second eluded his shadow.

Sasuke, who was in front of the Bridge Builder, Tazuna, had held his ground and glared down the second Shinobi as he rushed forward. Jumping, his hand took the enemy's' with the intention of redirecting his aim, flipping over and taking the nin with him. However, the enemy had other plans and had his weapon ready to tear through Sasuke. He whipped the chain out and Sasuke jumped out of the way, the blade smashing through a tree when a hand settled in the Shinobi's line of sight. Catching both Sasuke and the Shinobi off guard for only a moment, but a moment too long. Katsumi swept her foot out and the Shinobi tumbled, her hand settling on his back as she straddled him.

Shikamaru couldn't see what she did next as she leaned in, struggling to keep his hold on the Shinobi he had already captured. However, it was clear that the fight was over with when the second Shinobi went completely limp beneath her and she stood up and walked away from the enemy. She stepped forward to the one held in his shadow, and he got a better view of her _weapon_. A clear jar no larger than a coin, was held in her hand.

"That will be enough, Katsumi..."

Katsumi, who was standing in front of the Shinobi that Shikamaru still held captive, stilled her hand and turned to see Kakashi walking towards them. "Nice to see you in one piece, Sensei."

"Were you worried," he leaned in a bit and chuckled. Turning to Shikamaru as he placed an arm around the Shinobi's neck. "Let him go, Shikamaru."

"...right..." Shikamaru did as told and let a small sigh out as he straightened up and pocketed his hands. "what a drag."

Shaking her head, Katsumi put the twist cap back on the acrylic jar before pocketing it.

"What was that?"

"...a high concentrate of Marsh Marigold in a cream base...it's a sedative and can be sleep-inducing depending on the dosage. That one...is particularly strong. Magire-Sensei helped me with it..."

Kakashi loosened hi grip on the Shinobi as he finally went limp, "so that one isn't dead?"

Katsumi frowned, "no...is that why you stopped me? You thought I killed him?"

"Not really, no. I just didn't want my students to do all the work. Sasuke, grab him and help me tie them up. Then..." Kakashi turned to Tazuna, "...we will talk a little bit with our friend..."

"Right..."

Katsumi turned her eyes to Sasuke who walked towards the Shinobi on the ground. An annoyed look on his face, he glanced in her direction before quickly looking away and grabbing the guy on the ground.

"That was amazing..."

"Hm?" Katsumi looked over her shoulder, Tazuna looked at the two Shinobi being tied up and then back at her. She gave him a look of suspicion before she turned and walked away from him. She had already decided...that she didn't like him.

_**-x-x-x-Flashback-x-x-x-**_

"_You bumbling fool!"_

_Katsumi glanced up from her spot on the ground, she'd been completely lost in her thoughts. Thinking about Magire and the lesson from the night before. She was confused for a moment as to why the man in front of her was yelling, but then the smell of alcohol hit her and she cringed a bit. Feeling the dampening of her shirt, she pushed herself off the floor as the old man continued to insult her._

"_This is what I have to look forward to on the way back home? What kind of Ninja do you guys train?! She is a ninja, right?" He turned his hard glare to the Hokage who cleared his throat._

"_This is Katsumi Uzumaki, and she will also be on the team responsible for taking you back home to the Land of the Waves."_

"_This fumbling klutz?! Great...guess I shouldn't have expected much looking at the other three...what's one more incompetent brat?"_

_Katsumi's eyes were hardening by the second before she finally turned away from the man and completely shut him off. Ignoring him as she let Kakashi know that she'd done as he'd asked her to._

_**-x-x-x-End-x-x-x-Flashback-x-x-x-**_

Yes, she didn't like him at all, and wouldn't stand for his insults. So, the best way to avoid that...was to avoid him all together. Settling beside Ino who had been quiet for some time, she looped her arm with the other blonde and smiled at her. "What's up, Ino?"

"Oh...I was just...you and Sasuke were great, even lazy Shikamaru did great...but..."

Katsumi frowned, "Ino...isn't it you who always says that a flower blooms in its own time?" Smiling, she tugged the girl a bit and grinned when she threw her off her balance. "A flower doesn't think of competing with the flower next to it...really, it just...blooms."

"Katsumi..."

"Don't spend your time trying to run someone else's race, Ino...just work hard, and train diligently. You have something nobody else on our team does, you just need to find it." She turned to Kakashi and Shikamaru, both listening to Sasuke as they finished tying up the Shinobi. "I guess...we are breaking for a bit..."

Ino stared at Katsumi for a moment, then looked to the others on their team. Finally, turning her eyes back to Katsumi, she smiled. "Thank you. I don't know why I let myself worry about something like that. We are, after all, still learning. I'll find myself, on my own time...at my own pace."

"Well, I'm not sure if you noticed, but we all feel that way, Ino. If anyone does better than Sasuke, he feels like he's falling behind. When I see the guys fighting, I push myself to study more because I'm good at it, where as...I know I'm weak in Taijutsu. I mean...even Shikamaru feels cloud envy."

Ino laughed alongside Katsumi at the expense of Shikamaru. The two girls ignoring the looks of the four guys as they spoke a while longer to one another. Waiting for the Shinobi to come to.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter eight of Then There Were Two. I hope I still have everyone's attention. I've been studying poisons extensively just so I could write a story where a character excelled in Toxicology. Review, let me know what you think~**


	9. Chapter 9

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who will be with who. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

_**'Cause we never learned to keep our voices down, no  
We only learned to shout  
So we fight our way in (we fight our way in)  
And we fight our way out  
We earned what we could from the ground up  
And tried to lift the whole damn crowd up  
So we fight our way in (we fight our way in)  
And we fight our way out**_

**_-We Fight (Dashboard Confessionals)_**

**-x-x-x-**

_**Dreamscape**_

"_Get off of me Katsumi! Kiba is waiting for me!"_

_Katsumi refused to let go of Naruto, holding him in a strangle hold, she tightened her grip. "You took it, where is it!?"_

"_Ack! I...no way! I'm not gonna hand it over!"_

_**KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK**_

_The twins looked to the door, neither expecting anyone. As Naruto struggled to the door, his sister still strangling him, he brought a hand to one of her legs to keep her from falling despite wanting her off his back. He opened the door and looked up curiously at the bane of his existence. "...I haven't done anything...today."_

"_Genma!" Katsumi blushed and tried to get off her brother, but his hold on her suddenly tightened and she was forced to stay where she was or risk falling._

_Genma raised a brow as he looked to the girl on Naruto's back, then back at the boy. "Aren't the two of you too old to be fighting like this?"_

"_We aren't fighting, what do you want?" A hand popped him painfully across the head and he yelped out in pain. "Damn it, Katsumi! What the hel-!"_

_Katsumi grinned, her hand over her brothers mouth as she looked up at Genma with bright eyes. "Did you need something, Genma?"_

"_Ah...I wanted to take the two of you out to eat...as a congratulations for passing your Survival Test."_

_Naruto narrowed his eyes and his tongue darted out across his sisters' hand. He grinned when she let out a squeak, but before he could say anything to Genma, she had already replaced her hand. "MMmph!"_

"_We would love to! Although, I believe Naruto was about to leave. Something about meeting Kiba?"_

_Naruto's eyes widened as he remembered his training buddy. Dropping his sister, he darted backwards and grabbed his jacket before racing outside. "I'll see you later, Katsumi! Genma! You are responsible for her if you take her anywhere! If she gets hurt, I'll beat you into a pulp!"_

_Katsumi who was rubbing her arm after hitting it on the ground, looked up and glared at her brother who was already out of her line of sight. "...stupid."_

_Genma glanced down at her before holding his hand out. He watched her eye his hand for a moment before he sighed and leaned down to take her hand in his and pull her up onto her feet. "I said I would..."_

_She tilted her head curiously and frowned, "you never said anything about a congratulations meal. That was just..." she blushed, "ah, never mind. I'll grab my shoes and we can go!"_

"_Katsumi,"_

"_Hm?" She pulled her shoes on and looked over at Genma._

"_Katsumi!"_

_She jumped and frowned at the yell._

"_KATSUMI, WAKE UP! WE'RE LEAVING!"_

_**-x-x-x-End-x-x-x-Dreamscape-x-x-x-**_

"..." oceanic eyes looked up into a lighter shade of blue, and Katsumi let out a long and tired sigh. They had braked a few hours after the attack of the Shinobi who'd offed themselves before their team could get any viable information. She had taken that opportunity to get a short nap in...clearly...she was more tired than she'd originally anticipated.

"We thought you were dead..." Shikamaru scoffed, pocketing his hands from where he was standing a bit a way waiting for her to wake up.

"You look rather at ease for someone who thought I was dead." Katsumi stood and yawned. Grabbing her bag and shouldering it before walking over to Kakashi and Shikamaru, Sasuke was a further ahead of them, but he too was waiting for her. Placing a hand in her pocket, she glanced down and checked her little containers of aromatic poisons and healing balms.

Ino walked up behind her and frowned, "what were you dreaming of? Your cheeks were...red…"

Katsumi's head shot up and she felt four sets of curious eyes on her. "...I was...dreaming of a fight with my brother..."

"Oh?" Shikamaru smirked, "was it realistic or fabricated? Well, either way, I can imagine what the fight was about." He walked closer and with a teasing smirk, he leaned over a bit and whispered in her ear so that only she could hear. _"...but is that all you dreamed about?"_

She fisted her hands at her side and lunged, moving to punch Shikamaru who easily dodged her and laughed under his breath a bit. "Shikamaru..." she narrowed her eyes, "...just wait...I'll get you!"

"Right, right..." he calmed down from the high of sudden adrenalin.

"Are we ready?" Kakashi raised a brow, watching his team nod, he sighed, "good. Tazuna?"

"Hm?"

"We should arrive in a few hours, so please stay alert of your surroundings...and if you can think of anyone who might want to intervene with your return to the Land of the Waves...that would be great."

Katsumi walked past the group and made her way to Sasuke who watched her with narrowed eyes. "Careful Sasuke, you could kill with a glare like that..." she grinned, "what did I miss?" She knew they couldn't be heard, they were quite a distance ahead of the others.

"...our _client_ is hiding something. While you were resting, Kakashi had decided to dig for some answers, but the guy just said "I don't know who these men are, or what they'd want with me" ...but it's obvious he's lying."

Nodding, she resisted the urge to turn around and yawned, "what a pain...that really was turning out to be a great dream."

Sasuke raised a brow, side stepping a stone in the middle of the dirt pathway, he glanced around the forest, "Fighting with your brother? I didn't realize that you enjoyed it so much."

She blushed, "that's...not the part I was enjoying. I liked the part after he left."

"While I find myself curious, I don't know how much I really are to know." He chuckled, "however, if what happened a moment ago was anything to go by, I can imagine who it was that you were dreaming of...besides Naruto."

"...I'm pretty obvious...and I don't go out of my way to hide it. However, I don't just chase his heals...I need to work hard to become a Kunoichi that will be useful to Naruto once he's become Hokage."

"_Once_ he's become Hokage?"

She shrugged, "he'll do it. You can just wait and see...he'll succeed for sure."

He huffed, but the conversation was over as they continued walking in silence. The two were on high alert, neither willing to let another attack take place on their way to the Land of Waves.

**-x-x-x-**

**(Elsewhere)**

"Seriously Naruto, could you relax a bit?"

Grinning madly, Naruto jumped beside Asuma and scratched behind his head. "Sorry Sensei! When will we arrive at Tanzaku?"

"Tanzaku isn't too far away, thankfully. We will arrive before the nights end, so we will rest there once we arrive."

Chouji looked back behind them as he popped a handful of chips into his mouth. Finishing what was in his mouth, he called out, "Hey, Hinata!"

Blushing fiercely, Hinata jumped and looked up, "y-yes!?"

He sighed, "...are you okay? You are really far back there..."

"O-oh! I'm sorry...I w-was just...thinking."

"Oh?" Naruto ran back to Hinata's side and slipped an arm around hers. "Let's think a bit closer to the group!"

Her cheeks were burning, her head was spinning. She felt like she might pass out if he didn't get away from her soon, and by the way he was holding her arm... "N-N-N-Naruto! P-please…l-let go!"

He paused in her trek, glancing at her, he let his arm slip away from hers and almost immediately, her wabbly legs gave out and he caught her before she hit the ground. "Hinata! What...what's wrong?"

Asuma sighed. They were only three hours out from the village, and they still had a good thirteen or so to go. "Let's stop here. I need to fill my canister, and there's a stream." Asuma bluffed as he pointed to a creek that was only a few feet away.

Naruto nodded and helped Hinata against the trunk of a tree. Kneeling before her, he watched her with worry, placing a hand on the ground beside her, he leaned in a bit and pressed the other one to Hinata's forehead. "Are you...maybe...sick? Wh-What!? Hinata? HINATA!?"

Chouji laughed out loudly as Hinata's heart finally gave out and her body went limp against the tree.

'_This kid...' _Asuma shook his head as he pulled a smoke from his pack and lit it, "she'll be out of it for a bit, when she wakes up, give her some space, Naruto."

"Right...but..." Naruto frowned and stood up, "what's wrong with her?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, just relax for a bit until she comes too." He looked at the sun and a few clouds drifted carelessly above. It was such a relaxing day, he wouldn't have minded those D-Ranked missions...it was too bad his didn't appreciate them for what they were. ...a break.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter nine. I am trying to divide the time between the twins, but at some point, I'll have to jump away from that just so a plotline can flow. I hope you all enjoy, and next chapter won't have ANYTHING to do with the twins…so…yeh. Review~**


	10. Chapter 10

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**So tell me when you run, I wanna run with you  
Tell me where you hide, I wanna come to you  
Tell me where you go, I wanna go there, too  
Even if you fall I will go down with you  
I will be the one who comes to rescue you  
Tell me where you go 'cause I wanna be there, too**

**\- Run (Jasmine Thompson)**

**-x-x-x-**

Sakura shook her head and sighed, "you are so lame...Sasuke would never do anything like this."

Patting Akamaru on the head, praising him for his aerial marking while laughing at Sakura's look of disgust, "yeah, I would hope not, Sakura. If he started spinning around in the air and peeing on things, we'd have a lot of things to be worried about." Rolling out of the way of one of Akamaru's playful tongue attacks.

"How vulgar,"

"Kiba, you and Akamaru are so gross..."

"What was that?!" Kiba stood nose to nose with Sakura, glaring down at her as he was slightly taller than the nerve grating pink haired female. "Say it again, I dare you!"

"I said...YOU...ARE...GROSS!"

"Could the two of you keep it down?"

"_Aruff!"_

Kiba and Sakura turned a glare onto Shino who was facing away from them both, looking at one insect or another as he took in his surroundings.

"Sakura, Kiba, calm down."

"Oh...Kurenai-Sensei!" Sakura beamed at the Kunoichi.

"Suck up," Leaning back away from Sakura, Kiba looked up at their Sensei and sighed, "what's on the agenda today?"

"Just a few missions around the village, and a quick C-Rank to the Daimyo's Summer Home. There is a scroll that the Third wishes for us to drop off with the Daimyo of the Fire Nation."

"The Daimyo?" Kiba groaned, "that sounds like a pain."

"Stop complaining, Kiba!"

"What are you yappin' about?! You honestly tellin' me that you want to deal with some snobby old man!?"

"The Daimyo of the Fire Nation isn't an old man, not really..."

Sakura turned her glare from Kiba and looked curiously at their sensei. "Have you met the Daimyo, Kurenai-Sensei?"

"...yes...I've met him. Briefly, that is."

"What's he like?"

"Hm... Shikaku would know best. I only met him in passing on my way to the Hokage, so I barely got a chance to talk to him."

"What about our other missions?"

"This is the list of them," Kurenai held a scroll out, "you have until noon to finish them."

"Noon!? Well...guess we better get to it."

Sakura held the scroll in hand as she looked it over with Kiba and Shino on either side of her. "This shouldn't take us too long. Weed's, a dog walk and grocery shopping?"

"Let me get started on the weeds, the two of you can go grocery shopping and meet up with me. Then we can finish with the dog walk and meet back here." Kiba said as he looked the list over.

Sakura frowned, "you sure you want to do that? You'd be doing most of the weed work,"

"It's fine, this will get it done faster."

Shino looked between the two, "that sounds fine to me,"

Kurenai watched the three decide on what they would be doing, smiling when they vanished from her sight. Taking her time, she started back towards the Hokage's tower and decided to relax a bit in the Archive while she waited for her team to finish. She'd check in on them, but there wasn't anything for her to do while they were running this list. It was an easy set. One that they'd have finished in a couple hours at most.

**-x-x-x-**

Sakura smiled at the gentleman in front of her and Shino, placing the groceries on the counter before bowing and excusing themselves. "You think Kiba's almost done with the weeding?"

"I wouldn't underestimate him. However, we've only been gone for a little over an hour, it would depend on the size of the lot."

She nodded, "lets hurry over." Shino and Sakura started running and arrived only a few minutes later to see Kiba talking with their client next to the garden. "Hey!" Sakura called out.

"Hey, we had a slight change in plans. So, a number of these are Mint plants and our client has expressed that she'd like for us to cup those rather than trash them."

Sakura sighed, "how do we know which ones are Mint?"

"Akamaru's got you covered. He'll show you the Mint plants and you shovel them out. I've got most of them done and only a few left before we can scrap this whole lot and clear out the weeds."

"Thank you again for telling me, I wasn't aware of the Mint in my yard." The woman laughed, "I'll be sure to pay my gratitude."

"It's no problem. One of my friends keeps Mint sprigs in her apartment, so I recognized the scent immediately. We'll let you know when we're done."

"Thank you,"

Sakura frowned and cocked her hip as she shelfed her hand, "you made more work for us?"

"Don't complain, it won't take long. Look." He pointed to the plastic planters that were already filled with Mint. "I'm already almost done. Akamaru, show them only the Mint plants," Kiba said to the dog that was lying down next to the lot. Returning to the area he'd been working in; he went straight back to doing what he'd been doing prior to the woman coming to check on his progress.

"This one?" Sakura eyed the plant that Akamaru was sniffing.

"_Arrf!"_

Nodding, she shoveled around the plant and carefully pulled it up before potting it in the plastic planter. "This isn't so hard. Ah, eck!" She frowned, "grub..."

Shino walked over with his hands buried in his pockets, "so it is," he reached out and moved it out of Sakura's line of sight.

"...of dogs and bugs..." she sighed, "maybe I should get a pet too..."

"You strike me as a dog person, if I'm to be perfectly honest with you." Kiba laughed, "if you're interested, the Inuzuka clan has the best nin hounds."

She shook her head, "I was joking, and my parents might actually kill me if I brought home a pet."

"Ah, right, right."

'_A dog person...'_ she frowned, _'how the heck do I come off as a dog person?'_

They finished the weeds up and moved onto the last of their missions, dog walking. Her eyes sparkled as she took in the puppies. "They're babies!"

"Wow, lucky draw!" Kiba laughed, "we just gotta' exhaust these little guys and we can meet up with Kurenai."

"Not quite the difficult task," Shino said, "how hard is it to tire out a puppy?"

Kiba laughed and smiled, but he said nothing. They'd find out that while puppies were certainly more fun, they were also ten times more energetic.

"_Arrf~!"_

"Looks like Akamaru's gettin' excited too! Come on boy, let's get wild!"

"Hey, watch it Kiba!" Sakura dodged dirt splatter as the Inuzuka heir ran to keep up with his canine friend and the puppies they were supposed to walk. "KIBA!"

"Haha! Don't get your pink hair in a tangle,"

"That's easier said than done when you and your mutt are kicking up dirt!"

"What did you call Akamaru?!"

"I thought the Inuzuka Clan was known to have superior senses? Does keen hearing skip a generation?" She mocked as she got the last bit of dirt from her hair, _'disgusting! Now I need to wash my hair!'_

"Listen, Sakura...I know you're used to dolling yourself up for Sasuke and all, but he's not on our team, so...maybe you could pretend to be interested in becoming a Ninja rather than obsessing over your looks." Kiba pat Akamaru on the head as he said this, all the while he could feel the ominous aura behind him.

A tight fist started towards Kiba as she made to punch the doggish boy.

"_Arf!"_

Kiba twisted out of the way of the punch and brought his hand down to her wrist and grinned, "it was just an idea," He jumped out of the way of a kick and laughed at his female teammate, watching as she snatched up a leash and puppy before storming off. "Shino, I don't think she liked my idea."

"She did not. Shall we go after her?"

"...hm," he sighed, "yeah, I guess we should. Oh, what's that you got there?"

Shino lifted his hand, "it's a Shokaichu."

"Is it special or somethin'?"

"Shokaichu can burrow themselves in the ground and locate chakra signatures, good for tracking and traps."

Kiba smirked, "nice, are you integrating this little guy into your collection?"

"I was considering it," Shino looked up at Kiba, "let's go find Sakura and I'll think more about the Shokaichu along the way."

"Right; let's go Akamaru!"

"_Arf, arf!"_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter ten, I hope you all enjoyed a little dip in Kiba's daily life with Sakura and Shino.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**There's something wrong in The Village,  
in the Village.  
They stare in The Village, in The Village.  
There's nothing wrong with you, it's true, it's true,  
there's something wrong with The Village, with The Village.  
There's something wrong with The Village.**

**\- The Village (Wrabel)**

**-x-x-x-**

Katsumi looked at the boat as she watched her team get in it. She didn't make any motion to follow them as she watched the small boat sway in the water. Staring past them, she took in the fog and the fact that they couldn't see all that far ahead. Which, considering the sunny background behind her, seriously it left little to be desired.

"Katsumi?" Kakashi called back to the girl who didn't seem interested in climbing into the boat. "Don't tell me that this is as far as your prodigal skills go."

She clenched her fists at her side and closed her eyes before walking past her Sensei. "I won't grace that with a response, just know that I hate boats. Especially the ones that look like kid toys."

"Listen squirt, do you see any other way to the island?"

She brought her finger to her ear and twisted it in a show of not listening, "strange, I thought someone was speaking. Must be my imagination."

Sasuke sighed, "Katsumi, let's go."

She climbed into the little boat and sat down beside Shikamaru who was watching the exchange in pure boredom. Sasuke climbed in after Katsumi and Ino sat down to Sasuke's left. Kakashi and Tazuna followed suit with the guide following behind. _"I feel like a sardine."_ Katsumi muttered, clinging to her knees tightly as she closed her eyes and tried to ignore the boat and the swaying of the water.

"Look at the fog," Shikamaru sighed, "we can't even see more than ten feet in front of us."

Sasuke frowned, "it's getting thicker too."

Katsumi pulled a ponytail from her wrist and tied her hair up into a high ponytail. She glanced around with a glare firmly in place before she turned her eyes to the bridge builder. It was ridiculously too tight a fit in the boat, and she was going to make her discomfort known. Or, she would have, if not for the obvious fact that they were _clearly_ sneaking into the island. "...question." She didn't voice to who her question was directed, instead, she just spoke. "Why is it...this islands bridge builder has to sneak into his own home island?"

"Who said we're sneaking in?"

She stood up and sighed, "so if I...hm, I don't know, screamed really loud, you wouldn't mind?"

"Damn it, kid! Don't you dare!"

She looked up at the bridge that had come into view, a hand found hers and she looked to see Shikamaru holding her so that she didn't topple over. "I thought we weren't hiding."

Kakashi chuckled, "well, she has a point. If there's nothing to hide, then she should be able to be as loud as she wants. Why _are _we sneaking in; and before you tell me were not, let's keep in mind that I've been doing this a fair few years longer than these kids. I can tell when I'm being lied to, and I have no problem taking these kids and turning us around."

"...tch."

"Mr. Tazuna? You should explain in detail before we reach landfall, or that may be where our mission ends."

"It appears I've been cornered."

Katsumi sat down and readied herself. She figured she was about to hear an explanation that would only serve to annoy her more than she already was. The man before her didn't exactly have a pristine track record where pissing her off was concerned.

"No, I want you to know. It's true that this is not the mission that you agreed to. No, nothing as simple as an escort mission. The one who seeks my life is a very short man who casts a very long and deadly shadow."

"Does this short man have a name?" Ino asked.

"I'm sure that you all know him, or at least, you've no doubt heard his name before. As one of the wealthiest men in the world, a shipping magnate that goes by the name Gato."

"Never heard of him, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru sighed, "Gato of Gato Transport. He's a pretty big business tycoon, wealthy isn't really the word I would use to describe him. He's more like...stupid rich. He's got more money than he knows what to do with, and that leads to greed and poor decisions. I'm pretty sure I know where this is going. Mind if I wager a guess?"

Tazuna stared at Shikamaru, unsure of the kid was serious, "you think you've got it figured out?"

"Well, I mean, it's not like it's hard to guess. Let's look at the fact that this is an Island Nation, with a big shot business tycoon on the island. Not quite his scene, I can't imagine anyone that rich getting there by methods less than immoral. So, he's using an iron fist to run your islands and control your seas, am I close so far?"

"You aren't wrong,"

"I would also wager that he doesn't want a bridge to be built. Bad for business, and the man knows business. What is it, trafficking?"

"Drug trafficking, yes."

Shikamaru sighed, "what a pain," he looked at Sasuke, "you just had to ask for a C-Ranked mission."

"Those D-Ranked missions weren't getting us anywhere,"

"Yeah, well, not all of us are in a hurry to get somewhere! Now we're being dragged into this drama. This is at the least, a B-Ranked mission."

"I don't understand. If you knew he was dangerous, knew he'd send ninja to eliminate you, why did you hide that from us?"

"Because they couldn't afford a B rank or higher." Katsumi leaned her head onto Shikamaru's shoulder, "right? Shikamaru said as much. These islands are under Gato's thumb, so chances are, there's little to no revenue that doesn't go straight to Gato himself."

"I underestimated your kids," Tazuna frowned, "their smarter than I gave them credit."

"No, this is common sense. Being smart has nothing to do with it," Shikamaru laced his fingers and closed his eyes, "the question is, what do we do moving forward now that we know, what we know?"

"I would understand if you chose to end the mission once we get to shore. Of course, there will be no bridge, and I will, no doubt, be killed. Assassinated before I even make it home."

"Yeah, that's tough." Katsumi smiled, "but maybe you should have considered that before lying to a Jounin and his four Genin students."

"That is...of course, you shouldn't feel bad."

"I don't, nor will I. Nor should they," she sighed.

"Katsumi!"

"What?! Ino, this guy bold face lied to us, and then he insulted us. As if lying wasn't enough?"

Kakashi nodded, "she's still upset because you spilled alcohol all over her and then called her a klutz."

Blushing, Katsumi turned her back to the bridge builder. "You got kids, old man?"

"...a daughter...and grandson."

She clenched her fist at her side, "then I don't mind helping until the bridge is built. However, I don't particularly care if _you_ die, I don't think your poor behavior should result in the heartache of your family."

Ino looked at the girl behind her and frowned, _"...Katsumi..."_

"So, what's the verdict? Katsumi is good for go, Shikamaru? Sasuke, Ino?"

"**..."**

"My sweet little grandson is about to turn eight, it would be a shame if I couldn't be there on his birthday."

Kakashi smiled a bit at the man's guilting of his team. He was sure Katsumi didn't care one way or another, but Ino was clearly feeling it. "...I mean..."

"He'll probably cry when he hears I've been killed. Saying something like, _"grandad! I want my grandad!"_. Of course...it's up to you."

He watched Katsumi roll her eyes, even Shikamaru let his head loll back as he turned his attention upward. The fog and clouds clearly more interesting. Fingers dipped into the water as he watched Katsumi lean against the side of the boat, eyeing her reflection as a lock of blonde hair fell wayward into the water. He sighed and turned his eyes to Sasuke and Ino.

"Oh, and my daughter will surely curse and condemn the Hidden Leaves Ninja, blaming those who left me to fend for myself. She will most likely grieve in solitude for the rest of her life over the loss of her dear father."

"I'll do it!" Ino cried out, "...this isn't right though! You shouldn't be guilting us! We would have done it without the guilt trip!"

"I'm actually considering changing my mind after all that." Katsumi glanced at the old man, "you're really the worst kind of human."

"I do what's necessary to survive."

Shaking her head, she pointed ahead, "we're about to reach shore. What do you boys say?"

"I'll do it," Sasuke finally agreed.

Shikamaru closed his eyes, "no other choice. This old codger will haunt us till we die if we go back now."

"Oh no," Katsumi laughed, "can't have that. You'd lose out on a perfectly peaceful, ghost free life."

"Pretty much,"

Kakashi looked at Tazuna, "it looks like we will continue to protect you until the bridge has been built."

"Oh, thank you! I'm so grateful~"

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter eleven! I hope you all enjoy, and send love through, review~!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**Paragon of dignity  
untouchable and lethal  
but there's more to life shuriken.**

**Sudden death comes easy when you practice every day,  
you'll think you're ten feet tall and bulletproof until you pass my way,  
and you will never see me coming,  
no one's sad to see you go.  
Within my eyes you'll glimpse a wisdom,  
you were not prepared to know.  
In fearing what you cannot see,  
you fall beneath my hand,  
this is a ninja thing, you wouldn't understand.**

**\- The Truth About Ninjas (S. J. Tucker)**

**-x-x-x-**

Shikamaru and Sasuke walked ahead of Ino and Katsumi. Out of the fog and into the sun, the group had relaxed into the ease of the light that now draped the forest. With the girls were talking in hushed tones as they walked Tazuna to his home village. Despite their hushed conversation, Katsumi's eyes were following the shadows around them and every motion and whisper of the wind. Behind the four Genin, Kakashi walked beside Tazuna, keeping his eyes on his Genin and surroundings the same as the children. It was too much to expect them to be able to handle B rank mission right off the bat, and here they were.

"Oh," Katsumi paused and made her way towards a bush. "This island is thriving in herbs."

Tazuna shook his head and sighed, "kid, don't get so easily distracted."

She ignored him, just as she would Kiba's jabs at her strange hobbies and study habits or Naruto's nagging at her pushy personality. She pulled a clear container out of her bag and carefully picked a few of the red peas from the bush and smiled to herself a bit before closing the container and pocketing it in her bag. "I'm not easily distracted normally, but when opportunity knocks." She left her sentence hanging.

Shikamaru crouched down beside her and eyed the bright red pea sized beans, "what are they?" He brought his hand up to the red peas only for it to be smacked away.

"Don't touch," she stood up and pointed at the plant, "while the seeds are not deadly if in one piece, they are lethal if scratched, cracked, chewed or broken."

Shikamaru pulled his hand back away from the bush as he looked over the red bean like seeds. "Comforting, why do you need so many of them?"

"They'll make for a great balm! Something to play with in my free time while I'm stuck babysitting this drunk," she jabbed her thumb back behind her and her team was left with no delusions to whom it was she was talking about. She pulled out a small book that she'd bought not too long ago and turned to a page with the familiar red pea like seed. _"Hm, a favorite of jewelry makers that has been known to cause illness or death with something as simple as pricking their fingers while piercing the seed."_

"Get down!"

She didn't think about it, listening to the sound of whatever was flying towards them. She and Shikamaru jumped out of the way and landed in a tree not far from one another as they looked on at the man standing before them on the large halberd. "...that's a big knife..."

"I don't think it's there for looks," Shikamaru sighed, "what a drag."

"Well, this is certainly a surprise. Zabuza Momochi, rogue ninja of the Hidden Mist Village."

"_Shikamaru, correct me if I'm wrong, but by Rogue Ninja..."_

"_Tch, all I'm hearing is that this Mission has just gone from a B rank, to an A rank. If this keeps up, I'm gonna have to call it quits regarding just how important this bridge really is."_

Katsumi nudged Shikamaru hard in the shoulder, pulling a hair tie from her pocket and tying her hair up into a ponytail. She glanced down at Sasuke and Ino who stood beside the bridge builder before she jumped down and landed softly beside the two with her kunai drawn and held out before her in a defensive stance. Shikamaru heaved a sigh in annoyance but followed her lead and landed on Ino's other side.

"Good, you all have already moved into the Manji formation." Kakashi lifted his hand to his headpiece. "At least, that's one less thing I'll need to worry about."

"Focus on him, we'll protect the bridge builder." Ino called out.

'_Ino, making promises we probably can't keep!'_ Katsumi shifted her stance so she was closer to the bridge builder, _"you better be ready to move when and if we need to retreat."_

"_...what?"_

"Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja...you were in our Bingo Books in the Hidden Mist. We had orders to eliminate you on sight, the man who'd copied over a thousand ninjutsu with his Sharingan."

"_...Sharingan?" _Shikamaru turned his eyes to Sasuke and frowned, "that's an Uchiha specific Dojutsu, isn't it?"

It didn't look like Sasuke was going to say anything on the matter. That was answer enough as Katsumi, Ino and Shikamaru turned the attention to their Sensei as he revealed an eye, an eye they couldn't see from their place behind him. Mist began rolling in and Sasuke called out for them to move in closer to their Mission.

"No more talk, I need to kill the old man."

'_I don't particularly care if this old man lives or dies, but I can't stand the idea of failing our first B or A, whatever ranked mission! Not a chance in hell.' _Katsumi tightened her grip on her kunai, reaching into her pocket and pulling from it a clear container with a red piece of tape wrapped around it. She dropped both her hands behind her back and maneuvered her blade along the clear balm inside the container before twisting it closed and pocketing it once more. _'One cut...if I can manage one cut...' _she glanced at Shikamaru, _"think you can catch his shadow if need be?"_

"_If he gets close enough...and lets his guard down...yeah, sure."_

"_Don't be crazy. We need to do as Sensei said and stay in formation."_

Katsumi shook her head, _"Ino, he's after Tazuna. He'll come to us whether we want him to or not. Kakashi has been in a defensive stance since he arrived, ready to move in if need be, but holding his ground as long as possible. This guy's not some D-Ranked Shinobi...no, this guy could easily kill all of us."_

"_Kill!?"_

"Ino," Kakashi stopped their whispering at the rise in one of his female Genin's voices, "don't worry. I will protect all of you. You just worry about protecting Tazuna."

"So, I have to go through you first, Kakashi? That's no problem, in fact, I prefer it that way."

Ino stepped back as the man vanished from their sights. Appearing on the lake not far from where they stood. One arm extended up in the air, the other resting in a familiar hand sign, but the Jutsu itself was unfamiliar.

"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu."

Katsumi frowned as the mist became thicker than before, the man completely disappeared before them.

"Don't lower your guard, not a single one of you!"

Shikamaru knocked elbows with Sasuke and caught his eye.

Kakashi wasn't paying much attention to his four Genin, watching for any sign of movement around him, the plotting behind him went completely unnoticed. "Well, if we fail, we only die."

"Yeah," Katsumi agreed, "but we only die once, and I'd rather it not be now."

"I second that!" Ino called out, "I'm not ready to die, I won't let this be where my life ends."

"Then you guys had better do as I tell you. Guard up, kunai out! Trust in me, and I'll protect you!"

"_**Hai, Sensei!"**_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 12 of Then There Were Two, review and tell me what you think. Send Love Through, Review~**


	13. Chapter 13

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

_**Selfish  
**_**Taking what I want and call it mine.  
**_**I'm Helpless  
**_**Clinging to a little bit of spine.  
**_**They Rush Me  
**_**Telling me I'm running out of time.  
**_**They shush me (**__Shh__**)  
**_**Walking me across a fragile line.**

**\- Hold Me Down (Halsey)**

**-x-x-x-**

"_Eight points..."_

Ears perked, Katsumi tried to find _Zabuza's_ location by the sound of his voice.

"_The larynx, the spine, the lungs, the liver...jugular, subclavian arteries, kidneys and the heart...now, which will be my kill point."_

She thought about it seriously, "I'd prefer none of the above, but if I must choose, let's go for the heart."

"Katsumi!" Ino cried out, "don't say such careless things!"

Scoffing, Katsumi didn't even bother to turn her eyes away from the void of nothing in front of her. "Hey, if the guys as deadly as Kakashi's making him out to be, then I don't limp away from this."

"_Heh heh heh,"_

She turned towards the eerie chuckle, "don't get the wrong idea. I have no intention of dying, and I sure as hell won't make it easy for you should you come after me or anyone else on my team."

Sasuke heaved a deep breath as he tried to calm his nerves. His hand was shaking, but to his knowledge, no one else was feeling the intensity in the air, the clash of two Jounin intent on killing one another. It was heavy and suffocating him. It was a hand on his wrist that calmed his nerves.

"_We can all feel it..."_ Katsumi spoke softly, _"calm down, and know that we're all in this together. Not one of us has to do this alone, Sasuke."_

'_She doesn't know...she can't feel it! This feeling...I'll go mad if I―no, no I won't.' _He took another deep breath and calmed himself down. The feel of soft fingers vanished from his wrist as he came back down to earth. Whatever had happened to him, even if for a moment, he wouldn't, _couldn't_, let that fear overpower him again.

"I've got you,"

"Ah!" Ino turned her eyes inside their formation.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru reacted to the situation, _'It won't make any sense for us to sit back and do nothing,' _He watched as Katsumi and Sasuke jumped back a foot, moving his hand up, he felt the resistance of will from the shinobi in front of him and could already feel the annoyance bubbling up in his gut. _'Why's he gotta be so strong? Just take it like a man and give up!'_

"Do you got him?" Katsumi asked as she walked forward and raised a Kunai, bringing it up to the Shinobi's arm.

"I've got him,"

"Katsumi―!" Kakashi yelled out as she brought her Kunai down on the Hidden Mist nin's arm. Water seeped through the injury and the four Genin reacted by pulling into formation again. "Damn..."

Ino frowned, "so that was a water clone? When did he get a chance to switch? Shikamaru reacted so quickly..."

"He was always a water clone, the one who entered into our formation...was never real." Sasuke turned his eyes back behind them before turning back to the front.

"There!" Kakashi lunged forward and cut through Zabuza, but he vanished in a flood of water, spinning around in time for the large halberd to strike through him, his Genin watched as he too turned to water.

'_This is just a back and forth game of water clone tag.'_ Katsumi looked to Ino who was shaking, her eyes wide as she kept herself still beside Sasuke and herself. "Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru looked at Katsumi, her eyes were filled with trepidation, but she stood firmly in place, unmoving without any worry. Despite that, he could read her eyes, and hear the underlining fear in her voice. "Don't worry, I'll think of something. I just need a minute..." his eyes wandered the area, fighting the obvious annoyance he felt, he took in his surroundings, the shadows, and his teammates Jutsu's and abilities. _"Damn...if he was immobilized...that would be a great help."_

Rolling her eyes as she watched their Sensei fight the Assassin, Katsumi forced a small smile, "of course it would. Oh! Kakashi-Sensei!"

"Kakashi-Sensei!" Ino called after Katsumi as the girls both watched him fly backwards into the water.

When he finally came up, Zabuza had appeared behind him and entrapped him in a sphere of water.

Crouching down, Shikamaru closed his eyes in thought as he laced his fingers together.

"Seriously, right now?!"

"Let him be, Sasuke!"

"What's he doing?" Tazuna asked as he watched Shikamaru.

"He's devising a plan of action." Katsumi responded, "no matter what, you stay by Ino and Sasuke's side! We won't let Zabuza touch you, but...we have priorities to our Sensei too. In my mind, the mission comes second to my team."

"...yes...of course."

Pulling another weapon from her pouch, she watched as Zabuza brought a hand forward, creating a water clone that formed before them. _"Found a weakness, Shikamaru! He can't move his right hand, or it'll break his hold on the water prison! Figure something out!"_

Sasuke made to reach out for her, but Katsumi had already moved forward. "Katsumi!"

"Leave this clone to me! It just so happens, I favor weather Jutsu!" Taking both her Kunai in tight grips, she scrapped them loudly along one another, drawing his eyes to the small blades before throwing one down on the ground and charging at him with the other. "Eyes on me, Zabuza!" She brought the blade down and didn't blink when he disappeared from her sight, she felt the presence of the clone behind her. Flipping forward, she landed a few paces away and brought her hand up into a series of hand signs, "Hidden Leaf: Winter Barrage." Snow began falling heavily around her, like a hole had opened up in the sky above and unleashed a cruel chill over them, she brought her hands together again and smiled almost cruelly, "I love that you decided we would be an easy kill. As a Genin, we are rarely pitted against strong Shinobi, and as such, we aren't able to use Jutsu that are classified as dangerous. However," she ended on the ram sign, "Hidden Leaf: Winter Gale!" The snow began hardening into hail as it was swept into a deadly twister of wind, this tempest was dangerous to be in.

"It's gonna take a lot more than some hailstorm to defeat my clones,"

Katsumi nodded, "I hear you, just be patient...and I promise things will get interesting."

"How cute, she really thinks that she can take me on."

Katsumi frowned, _'not really, but someone needs to buy time for the real brains of the operation.'_ She brought her hands together and formed a couple more hand signs, _'I can't keep playing with these Jutsu's. I don't have the Chakra supply for it!'_ She yelled out, "Hidden Leaf: Rime Blades Technique!"

"KATSUMI, DON'T OVER DO IT!"

"You're making your Sensei awfully nervous, kid. You sure you should be...wasting your Chakra like this?"

"Shut up! However, much Chakra it takes...Sensei is what's important right now!"

The blades of ice tore through the clone as it pushed its way closer to where she resided in the eye of herself made hail hurricane. A _poof _sounded that verified the clone had been destroyed, but at the cost of nearly all her Chakra. She brought her hands up and released the Jutsu, feeling the strain on her body, she didn't dare hold it for any longer than was necessary. She looked to Zabuza, "so tell me, how talented are you with just one hand?"

He was smirking. That look alone was unsettling, but that he could do so with one hand occupied. Katsumi felt a chill of fear run down her spine.

"Why don't you come a little closer and I'll show you."

Kakashi was still yelling for her to get away. She wouldn't, she refused to leave him behind. _'Naruto, what would you do?' _She smiled to herself, _'oh, that's right. If it were you and Kiba, you'd both blindly charge forward without any plan...right. Then let's do it!'_

"Katsumi! Get back!" Shikamaru yelled out from behind her.

She jumped out of the way in time to avoid getting struck by a windmill shuriken, watching as it came close to hitting Zabuza, but then he leaned back out of the way. Katsumi shot forward and twisted in the air, bringing her heel down hard on his arm, she flinched as pain shot through her leg at the contact, but was satisfied by the feel of his bone giving way under the pressure of her kick. They both were injured in the initial strike, but her goal was met as she hit the water. His hand fell away from the Sphere and Kakashi was released. A _poof_ sounded and Zabuza was suddenly sent flying back onto dry land. Looking to see what exactly had happened, she was surprised to see Sasuke in the air with his leg extended from the kick. His decent into the water happened quickly and she felt arms wrap around her as he pulled her to shore. Her eyes fell to Zabuza who looked enraged at having lost his hold on the prison that had held Kakashi captive. He stood up, her eyes followed his every movement, enthralled despite the obvious danger that he was. When he disappeared from her line of sight, she felt her heart stop.

_**CLANG!**_

Sasuke looked up from where he had pulled Katsumi from the water, his eyes were just as wide as hers as they both stared at the intensely cold glare in Kakashi's eyes.

'_That look...Kakashi-Sensei...'_ maybe she was a bit insane, but the cruel look in his eyes, she found herself captivated by it. In fact, the more dangerous a situation, the more her heart seemed to race. For whatever reason, despite the obvious fear she felt, she couldn't help stepping a bit closer to the flames that tried to burn her.

"Katsumi, you were outstanding, if a little headstrong. Sasuke, Shikamaru, Ino, you all did a great job, I'm very proud of all four of you. For now, step back, and let me take care of Zabuza."

Katsumi didn't say anything as she felt Sasuke lift her into his arms. She glanced back over his shoulder at Kakashi and watched as Zabuza and Kakashi stood in a stand still with a Kunai to Kakashi's hand guard.

'_Wait...' _she glanced around and frowned, _'that Kunai, I'd set it to the side for a replacement Jutsu, but...it's laced in ricin.'_ She felt a sudden stab of irritation, _'that's why I don't lace my weapons! Damn it!'_ She motioned for Sasuke to put her down and whispered in his ear. Her mind was racing, she had to separate Kakashi and Zabuza, she had to get her Kunai back!

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Chapter 13, all finished! Hopefully I've done some amount of justice, let me know what you think, send love through, review~!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**Cause I've done some things that I can't speak,  
and I've tried to wash you away, but you just won't leave.  
So won't you take a breath and dive in deep?  
Cause I came here so you'd come for me.**

**\- Haunting (Halsey)**

**-x-x-x-**

Shikamaru couldn't tell what was going on with Sasuke and Katsumi, but the second Sasuke pulled her past the vantage point of Zabuza, he'd seen her transform into a Kunai. "What are those two doing?! Kakashi is free...why push themselves!'

"Some people strive to succeed, Sasuke and Katsumi are those types of Shinobi."

Shikamaru shook his head, ignoring the slight undertone of depression in Ino's voice as he watched their slightly more headstrong teammates, "no, something happened." He knew Katsumi. She was headstrong, yes, but she didn't step in unless she needed to. When she fought off the clone, it was to give him time to come up with something to break Zabuza's hold on the Prison. That's done, with Sasuke's help, they managed to break the prison. So, what was her reason to get involved now!? He watched Sasuke throw the Kunai and wasn't surprised when both Kakashi and Zabuza moved back. When Zabuza shot forward and took up the kunai, he yelled out about how they were only helping him in 'killing their precious Sensei'.

_POOF!_

"_Don't be so sure!" _She twisted in his arms as her hand reached out and gripped the Kunai in his other hand. Bringing a knee forward, she caught him in the left kidney and was dropped as he jumped out of her reach. Kakashi shot forward and grabbed Katsumi.

"_I told you to stay out of the way now!"_

"_Next time I'll let him slice you up with one of my Kunai's then!" _She raised a kunai between her and Kakashi.

Shikamaru felt realization hit him hard, "it was laced in something. She saved Kakashi-Sensei...from her own Kunai."

Ino sighed, "I guess that's why she says she doesn't put stuff on her weapons. She does it once and it's nearly used on Sensei."

Nodding, Shikamaru acknowledge the irony of the situation too as he watched Kakashi place Katsumi down and step in front of her. The battle was back on, and Zabuza and Kakashi were ready to end it, however that happened, it was going to happen.

**-x-x-x-**

"You okay?" Sasuke asked, checking her over as he hovered close to her. With the two adults trying to kill one another a little bit ahead of them. He'd moved in to get Katsumi out of the way before something happened to his teammate.

"Y-yeah. I think my leg is out of commission, but I'll be fine after a couple days. Hopefully that doesn't come back to haunt me later."

"Tch, damn your reckless..."

She couldn't help but laugh at that. "You helped my recklessness this time around," referring to him throwing her into dangers way, she let him guide her back to the makeshift Manji formation as they situated themselves around Tazuna. It was amazing that she could even stand still. Her leg was burning from her assault on Zabuza's arm.

"Katsumi, you okay?"

Katsumi said nothing to Ino's inquiry. The fact of the matter was, she was not okay. Her reaction time would be cut down drastically if Zabuza managed to get past Kakashi again. She would most likely be useless. Shivering from the chill from the breeze touching along her body with her clothes soaked against her.

"What the hell are they up to?" Shikamaru sighed, "I've never missed walking dogs so much as I do right now."

"_Ushi, saru, u. Ne, inoshishi, tori, ushi―"_

"_They have completely matched up with one another..." _Katsumi frowned, "Kakashi-Sensei isn't just copying him...they're absolutely in sync! Ah! Damn..." Katsumi knelt down to avoid being swept away by the current. An arm settled around her shoulder and she looked to see Ino holding onto her.

"_If you can't stand, lean on me." _Ino said this, her eyes were closed to keep the water out. When the flood of water gave out, she helped Katsumi up on her feet and left her hand on the others shoulder in support.

'_Ino...'_ Katsumi closed her eyes and smiled, _"thank you."_ Relaxing beside the only other female in her team, Katsumi focused on the fight before them. It was like watching a mirror.

"It's like watching twins..." Sasuke muttered.

Katsumi frowned and shook her head, "no, I can tell you firsthand, even twins aren't that in sync. I don't think Naruto and I have ever mirrored one another so perfectly." Watching the flood tear through the terrain, whatever this water vortex jutsu was...it was impressive. However, what was more impressive...was what happened next.

She heard it before she saw it. The familiar whistle of Senbon slicing through the air. She recognized it only because of how often she'd sit in and watch Genma train with Hayate and Raido, along with a few others occasionally. _'Is he dead?' _She stumbled when she made to move forward, flinching at a sharp pain in her leg. _'Damn, damn! First mission out of Konoha, and I'm gonna go back injured!?'_

"_No vital signs, he's definitely dead."_

"_Thank you, I've been tracking Zabuza for a long time. Waiting for the chance to finally take him down."_

"_By your mask, I see that you're a tracker ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist."_

"_Impressive. You're well informed."_

"This is insane, I feel a bit annoyed that you get to swoop in and wipe him out after the crap we just went through!" Katsumi straightened up and fixed her bag on her shoulder.

The masked newcomer turned to face her but said nothing in retaliation. Instead, it almost felt as if he was sizing her up. Not just her, but the others in her team.

"_I feel a bit freaked out by the guy if I'm being perfectly honest," _Ino frowned_, "why doesn't he say something?"_

"Something like this. I'd rather he not speak, it would only make it feel more real." Katsumi looked to Zabuza, "I'm almost sad...to see someone so powerful, brought down so easily, it's infuriating. What are we doing? This kid...he looks about our age, don't you think?"

Shikamaru sighed, "he's clearly an overachiever. Try not to think too much about it."

"Yeah, we're still learning, Katsumi!"

It wasn't enough, Ino and Shikamaru's attempts at cheering her up. She was bothered by the whole situation. She wondered if Kakashi didn't feel a bit put off by the fact that some kid their age had taken Zabuza out with one move, despite the effort he himself had put in fighting him. "Yeah...right. Still learning." She watched the kid vanish from the tree, reappearing beside the body of Zabuza as he linked his arm over his much smaller form.

Whatever was said after, Katsumi didn't care to listen to. She didn't acknowledge it. Didn't even try to comprehend the situation for anything more than what it was. All wrong. Everything about it was wrong. From how easily Zabuza was taken out, to the departure, to the crap feeling in her chest. It was all...all wrong.

**-x-x-x-**

Shikamaru situated Katsumi on his back, prying her legs up carefully under his arms as he stood up and started walking with Kakashi next to him. Tazuna was up ahead talking with Sasuke and Ino, both deep in conversation over the tracker nin that had taken off with Zabuza.

"Technically," Katsumi forced out through her pain, "there's a number of ways to stop a heart but maintain ones' life."

Shikamaru shook his head, "don't start thinking that this was some ploy of the tracker ninja's. It's troublesome."

Saying nothing, Katsumi looked over at Kakashi, frowning when she didn't see him next to them. "Wait," she looked back, "Kakashi-Sensei!"

Really, even after Zabuza had been dealt with, they couldn't catch a break.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 14 of Then There Were Two. Send Love Through and Review~! Also, if you didn't all know, Send Love Through is a song from an older animated Movie called Rock and Rule. If you haven't seen it, well...I feel sad for you. You should not only go and watch it, but also listen to the song, Send Love through. I say it enough...Review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**We are the way out  
****We are the ones you loathe  
****Call us the wrong crowd**

**We'll never walk alone  
****Don't need a savior  
****Don't need a hand to hold  
****Don't need no favors  
****We're reckless**

**\- Reckless (Jaxson Gamble)**

**-x-x-x-**

"Is he okay?"

Katsumi shrugged, "I'm not a medic nin, Ino. For now, let him rest. He must have worn through his chakra reserves."

"Even Sensei can run low on Chakra then,"

"I mean, he's human..."

A knock came from the door and the girls turned their attention to Tazuna and Sasuke who were both looking in curiously at Kakashi. "What's the verdict?"

"...again, I'm not a medic. I can only assume he needs rest. Since I can't really move, I'll play babysitter for now until Kakashi-Sensei is feeling better. Or until I am feeling better, then I'm switching with one of you."

"I don't mind hanging out in here and watching over Kakashi-Sensei,"

Katsumi couldn't even contain the eyeroll as Shikamaru walked in and let his laziness be known. "Gee, why doesn't that surprise me?" Glancing outside, she sighed, "I hope Naruto's having better luck on his first mission out of Konoha."

"Well," Sasuke leaned against the wall, "you can at least be sure it's nothing like ours. I'm sure his was just a simple C-Rank."

"..." She thought about her brother, eyes roving her reflection as she got lost in thought.

"While we're on the topic of plans, at least two of us should stay with Tazuna during the building of the bridge. Just because Zabuza has been dealt with, doesn't mean that no one else will come after him."

"Surely Zabuza was the worst," Ino commented, a feeling of desperation heavy in the air. She jumped as Katsumi suddenly turned her attention back to her. "Katsumi?"

"...I can't recall, but Tracker Nin...aren't they supposed to gather the secrets of their village at the spot of their kill? I'm right, aren't I?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "not sure, I don't know much about tracker nin if I'm being totally honest."

"_Genma would know..."_

Shikamaru frowned, "what was that," pressing his knuckle into her head and twisting hard, he listened as she cried out in pain, "I didn't quite catch that. Are you once again comparing my knowledge to that of a Jounin who's almost three times my age?"

"Three times...are we ten?"

"No, but that response didn't do too much to help you." Shikamaru sighed, "I just don't get girls."

"There's nothing to get!" She winced as pain shot through her leg as she moved unceremoniously to the futon laid out on the floor for her. "This is going to be a real pain. You know, when I kicked him, I didn't think it'd hurt so much."

"Are you kids hungry? Lunch is ready, so you should come downstairs and eat. Replenish your energy."

The young woman who walked in smiled at the group. Tazuna's daughter in all her kindness, had been welcoming to them in their arrival, quickly supplying them with a room to rest and lay their Sensei in while making the large group something to eat. Did she need to? Absolutely not. Did Katsumi think she deserved her kindness after the way she'd been talking to her father? Nope! Did she care? ...also no. Still, "you guys should go eat. Tazuna will most likely be heading to the bridge soon, so you should have something in your stomachs in case something happens. It does us no good if all of us are down for the count."

Sasuke sighed, "you shouldn't have charged Zabuza. There's no doubt in my mind that you have a more extensive library of Jutsu in that head of yours, but you are too physically weak to fight someone of his build."

"..."

Leaving the room, Ino turned a worried look to the silent Katsumi before following Sasuke out with Tazuna behind her. Shikamaru lingered behind and tapped his shoe noisily on the ground until Katsumi turned annoyed eyes to him. "Hey, don't get upset with me just because Sasuke said something you were already thinking. You aren't stupid, Katsumi. I know that, but I'd wager you're one of the most reckless shinobi I know, next to your brother." Shikamaru left the room too, not finding it necessary to add salt to the open wounds that Sasuke had made obvious. He was sure she'd heal up quickly, and he was sure she'd be right back out there training once she could stand on her feet properly again. For now, she needed to rest. For now, it was just him, Sasuke and Ino.

Glaring irritably at the ground, she reached over to her bag and pulled it to her side. Opening the front pouch, she pulled a soft velveteen fabric that had been rolled neatly up in a long tube from the pouch and carefully unrolled it. Five Senbon rolled loose along the fabric and she took the needles in as she reevaluated the fight with Zabuza and the arrival of the Tracker Nin.

**-x-x-x-**

**(Late Evening)**

When he finally came too, it was to the sweet smell of peppermint with an undertone of something more _earthy_. "See you're quick to poison me once everyone is out of the room."

Katsumi barely spared her Sensei a glance as she continued massaging the peppermint balm into her leg. "I'd hardly call it poisoning. First off, peppermint is a naturally grown herb that can be found in the most common of households..." she reached down and lifted the clear container, "and if you're wondering about the other scent, which, I'm sure a talented Jounin such as yourself picked up on. It's Valerian from the Valerian Root. A recognized Sedative that acts on the mind and muscles. I was using a slightly stronger dose on you so to encourage sleep, but I guess your body just didn't care to rest for the duration I had intended."

"Is that what it is," he eyed the clear container with the yellow tape lining it. "How can you keep all of them straight? They all look the same to me,"

"Well, the tape helps. I have a small book with them marked, and then..." she reached over to the container beside his mat and flipped it over. On the bottom it read in black marker, _**Valerian Balm**_. "I have them named too."

A headache formed at the obvious form of organization. He really wondered how that hadn't even crossed his mind. "Close it, I think I've slept enough for now, I need to think clearly."

"About the tracker nin?"

"...what do you know?"

She shook her head and sighed, "I don't _know_ anything," she twisted the lid on her peppermint balm and then his Valerian. "I just...question the authenticity behind it all. What really bothers me...is that he took the body. I said it before, there's a number of ways to stop a heart but maintain ones' life."

"You aren't wrong in your suspicion. I have my own, in fact."

Stretching her leg out in front of her, she eased it out straight carefully before leaning forward and touching her toes. She felt the strain of pain but ignored it as she tried to work the ache out. "So, what then? Zabuza is still alive?"

"...I'm sure of it."

She sighed and sat back up before leaning back on her hands. "Shikamaru, Ino and Sasuke are out with Tazuna. We will need to inform them as soon as they return..."

"You got anything in that bag of yours that will help me recover faster?"

Katsumi rolled her eyes, "nothing that will work faster than getting a goodnights sleep. Just rest, Sensei, and I'll take care of everything else."

He sighed but lay back against the futon and closed his eyes all the same. "You really are mature for your age. Oh, but if you ever rush into a fight like that again...I might send you back to the Academy."

Katsumi stuck her tongue out irritably, biting on it as she looked through her bag but choosing not to say anything in retaliation. _'Everyone is getting on me for attacking that Shadow Clone. If I'd managed to do it without getting injured, they wouldn't be cracking down on me.'_ She pulled out another container and eyed it critically, "Sensei, maybe before you sleep, you should take a bath."

"Are you saying I smell?"

She gave him an annoyed look, "that too, but..." she lifted the container, "Rosemary works best when infused in hot water. It's the world's number one muscle relaxant and should be utilized in its strongest state." She pushed herself off the mat and felt his eyes following her, "I'll draw you a bath, it'll be hot for the best results, but you'll feel better in the long run."

As she started for the door, it opened to reveal the Bridge Builders daughter and a cup of water. "Oh, you're standing?"

"If I baby my leg, it'll never get better. Could you help me draw a bath for Sensei, I have some Rosemary oil that should help him with his recovery."

"..." Kakashi watched curiously as the woman held out the cup of water to him and carefully sitting up, he took the glass and watched her help Katsumi out of the room. Looking into the water, he thought of his fight with Zabuza. He really did push his Sharingan a bit much. Had the kids not stepped in... he owed the lot of them his life. They really did an outstanding job back there. "Katsumi is more surprising. She couldn't sustain three of her Weather Jutsu stacked on top of one another for long, but that she'd done it at all is impressive. Then she also caught onto Zabuza and the Tracker Nin."

About ten minutes later, Katsumi limped back in with the young woman guiding her. She motioned for Kakashi to go bathe and he watched her settle herself back down on the mat beside his before the woman left their room. "Katsumi..."

"Yeah? What is it?" She pulled her bag over to her side and pulled out a book.

"What made you question the Tracker Nin? What was it about the whole situation that made you think Zabuza wasn't dead? You said it was because he took the body, is that all?"

"...no... Genma uses Senbon." She glanced at the front pouch of her bag, "While I was learning to use them myself, he mentioned that Senbon are very rarely fetal unless they hit a vital organ. As you are perfectly aware, there is no vital organ...in the neck. However, I can think of at least nine pressure points in the neck, four of which can simulate death by knocking the victim unconscious and blocking the airways. Wouldn't you say...that's quite a convenient method of premeditated _temporary _death? I find it difficult to believe that some kid my age can kill someone Zabuza's size with needles to the neck. That is why. Now, go take a bath. I'm going to sleep some until the others get back. It shouldn't be too much longer until they return. Tazuna mentioned going out to _assess _the bridge."

"Right, right. I don't suppose I should be worried about how much attention you pay to Genma..." he eyed her and sighed when she rolled over and chose to ignore him. _'Right, I'll talk to her about that later...preferably when I'm not in a haze of exhaustion and muscle pain. For now, a bath doesn't sound all that bad.'_ He stumbled out of the room and glanced down the hall before making his way to the opened door where Rosemary could be vaguely picked up in the air. He sniffed his way to the bath and closed the door before he pulled his clothes off and took his time in soaking in the heated bath with the heavily scented steam smoldering his sense. _'Katsumi gets a pass! Definitely...glad I passed the four of them. I should get a few of these for home when we're in Konoha. Rosemary...Lavender...Valerian and Peppermint...to name a few. Yeah, having an herbalist on the team...isn't so bad.'_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 15! I am kind of glad that I'm back in Naruto-verse mode. I missed my Katsumi. You know the deal, Send Love Through and Review~ **


	16. Chapter 16

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki, and Katsumi Uzumaki, are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage. Both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams are quite different now, and the future is looking more than a little bit brighter, or is that but the calm before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**You can throw your hands up,  
you can beat the clock.  
You can move a mountain,  
you can break rocks  
You can be a master,  
don't wait for luck,  
dedicate yourself, and you can find yourself.**

**\- Hall of Fame (The Script)**

**-x-x-x-**

**_Dreamscape_**

"_How do you like emém?"_

"_These are for me?" Katsumi looked down at the soft velvet wrap that held a set of five sharp throwing needles. "These are Senbon, like yours!"_

_Smirking, Genma sat down on the wood railing of the apartment, "yep, thought I could encourage you to take up the practice."_

"_Will...will you teach me?" She tightened her hold on one of the Senbon as she turned her eyes to meet the Jounin's. She knew nothing could or would ever come from her having a crush on the older male, but she wasn't sure how to turn it off. Liking someone wasn't easy for a ten-year-old._

"_Sure thing,"_

"_GENMA!"_

_Turning slightly, he brought his hand down and caught the louder of the twins by the scruff of the neck. "If it isn't my favorite rowdy troublemaker, where were you?"_

"_Don't change the subject!"_

_Katsumi frowned, "what subject?"_

"_I'm curious too, did you say something besides my name?"_

_Naruto blushed and knocked the hand from the collar of his jacket, "you got Katsu a gift! Why! What are your intentions with my sister, you old man!"_

_Genma raised a brow, "...intentions? No, wait; let's go back to the "old man." I'm not that old, Naruto. As for the gift, she watches me train with them, so I figured she wanted her own set. Did you want to learn too?"_

"_No!" Katsumi shook her head and sighed, "he'll end up poking his eye out. Or mine!"_

"_Will not!" Naruto sniffed the air suddenly before pulling on Genma's sleeve, "Hey, hey! Old man, Genma!"_

"_...really..."_

"_I'll forgive you for getting Katsu a gift and not me...but you gotta buy us Ramen! Ichiraku has a new flavor; I can smell it!"_

"_Fine, fine, Katsumi, get your shoes on, and we'll go eat."_

_Smiling, she ran inside before laying the senbon on her and Naruto's dresser. Grabbing her sandals before running outside._

**_End Dreamscape_**

**-x-x-x-**

Kakashi felt fresher than he'd anticipated when he woke up the next morning. Chancing a glance in Katsumi's direction, he found she was curled up asleep. A journal lay tucked tightly under the blanket in her arms. Beside her was another of her many containers, this one smelled of lavender, and so he felt no need in asking her as what it was as he reached across and flipped it over. Now that he knew she labeled them all, as _any_ intelligent person would. He placed the opened container down once his curiosity was sated. Reaching over to the journal, he placed his hand on it but paused thoughtfully. _'I doubt she's the type to lay her feelings out on paper. What are the chances it'll have anything in there about her thoughts on Genma? On another note, do I want to delve into a twelve-year-old girl's mind?' _He shook his head, "No, I don't." Standing and quietly making his way downstairs, he made sure that he didn't wake the sleeping blonde as she still needed to recover from her own folly.

"Sensei!"

"Ino, where are the others? Shikamaru and Sasuke."

Ino, who was sitting across from the Bridge Builders' daughter and who he assumed to be the Bridge Builders grandson, jumped up and walked towards him. "Shikamaru and Sasuke-Kun went with Tazuna to the bridge. Why?"

He sighed, "...when they get back, we need to talk. It's about Zabuza."

"Oh," Ino frowned, "Shikamaru and Katsumi were talking about him like he might still be alive, but he's not, right, Sensei?"

"Shikamaru said something about him being alive too?" Kakashi chuckled, _'I really do have quite an interesting group. Sharper than the previous Genin I've tested that have failed my standards...'_

"I heard another nin showed up and killed him,"

Looking at the woman, he still hadn't gotten her name, but that wasn't much of a problem for him. He made to speak when the door opened to reveal Shikamaru and Sasuke were walking in with Tazuna behind them. "We were just talking about you three."

"Ah, Kakashi-Sensei, you're awake already?" Shikamaru leaned back against the wall, "I thought for sure you'd be out for another day or two, should you be walking around already, though?"

"I can't use my Sharingan for a few days, but Katsumi's aromatherapy has helped my healing along. You two, come sit down with Ino. We need to talk."

"What about Katsumi?" Ino asked, looking up the steps where the other female of their group still slept.

Shikamaru smirked, "I can go kick her out of bed, I don't mind."

"I'm sure you don't," Kakashi looked curiously at Shikamaru, "I can't tell if you and she are close friends, or...deadly enemies."

"Tch, whatever."

"She already knows what I'm going to say. I spoke to her yesterday about it. Just let her sleep. I need all of you at your best." Sitting down next to one another, Sasuke and Shikamaru gave their undivided attention to their Sensei as he explained his and Katsumi's theory on Zabuza.

**-x-x-x-**

When Kakashi left the room, Katsumi opened her eyes and rolled onto her back. Glancing at the door, she sat up and grabbed the small bag next to her mat. "He won't notice for a while." She pushed open the window and jumped the ledge before disappearing into the night.

Finding a quiet place to rest, she leaned against a large boulder and pulled her knee up, "there's still a slight tightness, and that purple and blue is just..." Katsumi sighed, "I'll wrap it," even as she said this, she was pulling out a roll of the white wrap, bringing it above her knee cap before going around and around till she passed the bruise that took up a good portion of her knee. She continued till she was a few inches from her ankle before snapping the wrap and tying it tightly. "No one needs to know." She stood up and bounced lightly on the balls of her feet before grinning and grabbing her brush from her bag.

She enjoyed the cool of the stone on her skin before pulling from her back pocket the velvet blue wrap that held five senbon neatly tucked away. "Some light practice won't kill me." Because she hurt herself, the rest of her team was being trained. Meanwhile, she was sleeping. Being asleep meant she was falling behind the Uchiha survivor. That wasn't acceptable. _'Not like he's my rival or anything, I just can't stand to fall behind! Oh...' _she sighed, "starting to sound like Ino." She stopped at a tree and looked at it.

**_~Flashback~_**

"_Katsu, haven't you had enough?"_

"_...I'm not tired yet. I still have so much to learn..." Katsumi pulled in a deep breath as she tried to gather her strength back in her hands and arms. Looking at the tree across from her, eight Kunai were scattered in a nearly perfect line, but not quite accurate enough. She glanced back as a hand settled on her shoulder. Naruto was grinning down at her, laughing. At what? She wasn't sure, but his laughter was infectious as she smiled back up at him and laughed. Sooner or later, the two were near tears in their jovial state as they laughed back to back on the ground, holding one another up as they sat down against the other._

"_Hey, Katsumi. You can take a break when you feel tired. Don't push yourself. You'll get to where you want to be, but not if you make yourself sick in the process. Rest is just as important."_

"_I know, but if I rest too much if I take too many breaks. I'll fall behind."_

_Leaning back, he put too much weight on his left and fell against the ground beside his sister as he stared up into her confused blue orbs, he chuckled, "fall behind who?"_

"_Everyone. You, Kiba and Chouji..."_

"_What about Shikamaru?"_

_Katsumi raised a brow, "Sleepy Shikamaru? Not likely...but...still..." she looked up at the sky and lay back. The two stared up at the stars twinkling above them, "think they can see us?"_

"_Mom and dad?" Naruto smiled, "Yeah, I know they can. They're watching us right now, Katsumi. Mom, I bet she is thinking about how tired you look. Dad might be cheering you on, though! Oh, and Mom would probably scold him for not taking it seriously..."_

_Katsumi looked at her brother at the catch in his voice. A sparkle in the night caught her eyes as she watched a tear fall along his cheek. Still, he was smiling. "I'm tired, Naruto...I don't need to push myself; I'll get there when I get there. For now, let's go inside and sleep. After all, we wouldn't want Mom and Dad to worry."_

"_Yeah..."_

**_~End Flashback~_**

'_...' _she glanced up at the sky, and a cool wind played lightly with her hair, "you think I'm pushing myself too far.?" She was sure she sounded crazy, yet somehow, as the wind grew slightly stronger, she couldn't help but laugh. Smiling into the breeze, "Sorry...Mom, Dad, but you'll have to watch me grow like this. I can't keep still, so keep your eyes on me, and I promise I won't let either of you down."

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter sixteen of Then There Were Two. I wonder how many people are still interested in this story. I'll keep writing it, naturally, but I just wonder about silly things like this. Those who were around ten years ago have moved on, making lives of their own as they get married, have kids, and so on. Wah~ anyways. Read, Review, Send Love Through~!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**This is what you want, to belong, so they like you.  
Do you like you?**

**You don't have to try so hard,  
you don't have to, give it all away.  
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up,  
you don't have to change a single thing.**

**\- Try (Colbie Caillat)**

**-x-x-x-**

After training on her own for a few hours in the forest, she returned to Tazuna's place only to find that her team had left to another part of the forest for some training of their own. Racing out of the house, it took her little more than fifteen minute to find her team running up along the trees in the forest. Shikamaru and Ino were on the forest floor watching Sasuke with Kakashi standing behind the two.

"Look at him go. Sasuke-Kun, your amazing!"

Katsumi crossed her arms back behind her head, a bad habit of hers that she swore she picked up from Naruto and Shikamaru. Her eyes followed the long line of marks on the tree. "Chakra Adhesion?"

"Let me guess, you can do this too?" Kakashi sighed, "kind of just came to me prepackaged."

Turning away as Sasuke kicked off the tree he'd been running up and twisted in the air. The sound of him landing behind her left no impact on her as she gave Kakashi a deadpanned look. "Actually, no. Knowing about it and doing it are two different things. Although, I'm confident that I can. My Chakra control is one of the only things I have confidence in."

Nodding, Kakashi pointed towards the tree, "are you able to try?"

She stalled in her answer, wanting to reply positive, her gaze fell to her leg and she clenched her fist.

"Don't tell me you're too scared,"

'_Scared!?'_ She whipped around and glared at Sasuke who was smirking, her feathers were obviously ruffled, and he knew it. Boy did he! Turning her eyes to the last mark he made, she smirked, "I hope you haven't been out here for too long, I'm about to embarrass you, Sasuke-Kun~"

Kakashi raised a brow as Sasuke stepped aside and tossed his Kunai at Katsumi who walked past him, catching the weapon without lifting her eyes to meet his. Kids had a curious way of pressuring one another. While he thought it childish but convenient, he also knew that Katsumi's leg wasn't where it needed to be. "Katsumi―"

She took off in a run as she ignored Kakashi; focusing her Chakra to the soles of her feet, she ran up along the tree with the single goal of surpassing Sasuke's highest mark. That goal. _'Don't look too far ahead! I can see this...I can do this!' _Stepping on his mark, she pushed past it and brought his Kunai down on the tree where she sliced into before pushing off the tree and flipping backwards. Her landing could have been better, but Sasuke wasn't paying attention to her landing. He looked up at the incision she'd just made. A glare on his face as she made true on her words.

A hand settled on her arm and she felt fingers wrap around it. "Wha―what are you doing!?" She yelled out when Kakashi began dragging her off.

"You aren't allowed to participate until your leg is better. Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru...you three continue practicing, I'll come back to check on you once I get this one back to her bed."

**-x-x-x-**

"Let go of me! Kakashi-Sensei, let go!" She was getting annoyed. It wasn't like she wasn't able to practice, she just needed to take it easy. "I said...LET GO!" She twisted in his grip and sent a kick to his head. Out of distance from the rest of her team, no one was around to see Kakashi catch her foot with practiced ease. When he dropped his hold on her, she jumped out of his reach before surging forward and attacking her Sensei.

In hindsight, this wasn't her brightest idea. However, it did exactly what she'd wanted...and more. He blocked her every attack without trouble, not bothered in the least by her tantrum as she let off her frustration. It wasn't like she was angry with him. No, she was angry with herself. Angry with her injury. Her carelessness. Pettiness. In fact, the more she kicked, the more he blocked, the more he retaliated and the more she found herself letting go of said frustration.

Kakashi brought a knee up to parry hers, catching her fist in his before bringing his own down only for her to lean out of its range. She dropped to the ground and swept her foot out to trip him, but he jumped and pulled her with him. Still gripping onto her fist as he landed and spun her around into his chest. Letting go long enough to bring both arms under hers and lock her in place. "Are you finished?"

She narrowed her eyes and paused in her struggling, there was a familiarity in the warmth of his arms, but it wasn't the same as what she was used to. Not quite the same as _his_ warmth. Tilting her head up, she caught the confused eye of her Sensei and smirked, "do I look finished?" She brought her leg straight up in front of her and laughed when Kakashi stumbled back in surprise when her foot nearly caught him in the face.

Letting her drop to the ground as he sighed and shook his head. "You know, most people jump at the mention of sleeping instead of training."

"Sorry to disappoint." She frowned, "Sensei, I want to learn...please. I know my limitations better than anyone..." standing tall, she looked down at her hands before she closed them tightly into fists, "don't punish me because I made a mistake."

"...punish?" Genuine shock sounded in his voice as he repeated that word. "Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"It's exactly what you're doing. My headstrong personality is costing me training time, I can't fall behind!"

Bringing a hand to his head, he groaned, "you've just shown me that you are just as mature as the rest of your team. For a second I thought you had an edge on them in experience and mentality; what with the way Genma talks about you."

'_...Genma?!'_ She perked up, "wait, what has Genma said?"

"Hm?" He leaned forward so that he was at eye level, "just that you are more mature than the rest of your fellow Genin, but you know what? You're looking about the same right now. In a hurry to get stronger, with no idea of what _stronger_ entails. What happens once you've reached that power plateau? What will you do next? You rise to the challenge, show up Sasuke, give advice to Ino and motivate Shikamaru, but when all is said, and all is done...you still don't know how to get to where you want to go. A little girl, playing Kunoichi, without even knowing the rules of the game."

"Is that really for you to say, Sensei?" Tears swelled in her eyes and she closed them tightly. _'No! No one gets to see me cry!'_ She took a breath before speaking with a resolute tone. "I said that I know my limitations. I also know my fears. When the only person in my life is my brother, all I can do is keep on moving forward so that I'm always strong enough."

"Strong enough to what?!"

Her eyes snapped open, "strong enough to protect my friends! My brother! I _need_ to be stronger! Their lives are all that matter to me! Sensei...can you truly say that makes me childish!? Immature?! I'm fighting to protect the people who matter to me. Who have always been there for me? Because _"when all is said, and all is done"_," she mocked, "they alone saw me for me! I don't know how to change this mind set, Sensei...and I don't know if I really want to. Who I am, I'm working really hard to be better...but that can't happen if you leave me behind!" Her heart was crying out, but no one seemed to hear it. Dropping to her knees in her emotional exhaustion, she calmed herself with deep breaths as she fought back the tears that were trying so desperately to break away from her eyes. _'I won't let myself fall victim to these tears!'_

When a hand settled on her shoulder, gravity pulled her in, and she felt the stiff material of her Sensei's vest against her cheek. Oddly enough, she found comfort in it. His hand ran along her hair for several minutes as she calmed down with the repetitive ministrations. "Katsumi―"

"_I'm sorry."_ Her voice came out in a hush of sorrow, weak and heavy with emotion.

Sighing, he glanced up at the floating clouds above. A feeling of ease settled inside him and he suddenly realized that Shikamaru had the right idea. Letting life pass you by occasionally... it really wasn't such a bad pastime. "Don't apologize. I didn't make myself clear earlier, and you took it as if I was punishing you. Honestly, you're a powerhouse when it comes to Ninjutsu, so much further ahead than the rest of the team...but where you surge ahead in Ninjutsu, you heavily lack in physical strength. Because of that, you are more easily hurt in Taijutsu, which results in your body's natural healing process taking a slightly longer time. I didn't mean for you to feel as if I was punishing you for your actions during my fight with Zabuza...or your fight with his clone, which, by the way, was outstanding." He stilled his hand as she lifted her head. "I only wanted to make sure you were at your best before you resumed your training. Zabuza isn't dead, Katsumi. You know that. You knew that well before the others did, right?"

"Shikamaru knew too, he just didn't want to acknowledge it as the truth. He said it would mean more work for Team Kakashi later down the road, and that was troublesome."

'_Seriously, I have to wonder about that kids sense of urgency.'_ Shaking his head, he locked his eye with Katsumi's, "you know your limitations?"

Sitting up, she looked at her hands, bringing them both to her sore leg. She massaged lightly before applying more pressure at the most tender of spots on her leg. It was true that it hurt, but she knew that this wasn't the worst injury she'd attained, and she also knew that she'd pushed herself through injuries that had been far more terrible than what she got from Zabuza. "...yes."

He nodded. "Stand up. We're going to cover Taijutsu practice until the sun goes down. I won't let you leave this forest until your completely worn out." He smirked, "you'll be crawling back to Tazuna's place tonight."

She heard the challenge, and standing up, she responded by moving her back foot into a defensive stance. Watching her Sensei stand up across from her, she allowed herself a moment of clarity just before their training began. Wind whipping fiercely around her as he disappeared from her sight.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter seventeen of Then There Were Two! I slipped off the timeline, I know. Yay! Naruto isn't here, so I've got more freedom to play! Also, only Sasuke is part of the original Team Kakashi so the characters already make for a new plot! Hope you all enjoy; I'm going to bed. YukimuraShuusukeGirl is staying the night and already asleep, and I've got a hair appointment when I wake up, so I should honestly turn in. Woot! Review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**When you're falling in a forest and there's nobody around,  
do you ever really crash or even make a sound?  
Did I even make a sound?  
Did I even make a sound?  
It's like I never made a sound!  
Will I ever make a sound...?**

**\- Waving Through A Window (Katy Perry)**

**-x-x-x-**

"How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted, sore...but I'm happy." Katsumi grinned up at Kakashi who stared down at her. She was lying on her back, blonde hair splayed out around her wildly with no direction as she tried to recapture her breath. Dirt smudged her cheeks and hands as it mingled with sweat. True to his words, he had kept her out till night fall, training her in Taijutsu until her arms felt like noodles. "Are you heading back?"

"Aren't you?"

She laughed, "not yet. I won't train anymore, but..." she closed her eyes and relaxed into the feel of the cool grass, "it feels nice out."

"Shouldn't you be a bit more worried about Zabuza?"

"I'm not as worried about Zabuza, as I am the kid he runs around with. That _tracker_ nin. I don't think we need to worry about either of them for a while, however."

Kakashi sighed, "don't stay out too long."

Once she was certain he was gone, she pulled out familiar throwing needles. Staring at the Senbon, she sat up and eyed them. _'I don't think my aim is nearly as good as that kids...but...' _she ran her hand along her neck and closed her eyes. _'If I missed...I might kill one of my friends. But that tracker nin just...no, not a tracker. Still, so confident in his moves, he wasn't worried at all. I wonder how many people he's practiced on, how many times he's failed.'_ Standing, she threw the senbon across at a tree.

**-x-x-x-**

**(Elsewhere)**

Asuma laughed under his breath as Naruto argued with the Jeweler they were escorting. They'd already made it to the Waterfall Village and would be leaving come morning to return to Konoha. "Naruto, what do you have against the guy? He's a bit high strung, but..."

"Asuma-Sensei, he almost got us killed three times! How is someone so unlucky!? Who suggests that we go through a dark and creepy cavern rather than taking the merchant path around it?!"

Pulling a smoke out, he popped it into his mouth as he nodded, _'that was a headache.'_

"N-Naruto...but we m-made it okay."

"That's not the point," Naruto growled out irritably. Turning on his female teammate, he glared hard, "you were placed in danger too! He's entirely too reckless! Completing this mission means nothing if it's at the cost of my team, Believe it!"

"Oh, spare me," the Jeweler waved him off as he checked his inventory. "You're alive, aren't you?"

"What's that?!"

"Now listen here!" He snapped, placing a necklace down and turning to Naruto, "I paid for an escort! How we get to the designated _point B_ is as much my choice as it is yours. I decided on the route, and you kept the baddies off me...like you were paid for."

Chouji was watching the man talk down to Naruto, a bag of chips in his hand as he shoveled the crunchy flakes into his mouth. "I'm tired of this, let's go eat."

"L-let's go, N-Naruto."

Letting Hinata pull him away by the elbow, his eyes never left the cocky Jeweler as he returned to counting the necklaces and earrings that they'd helped transport.

"Naruto..."

"Tch," he turned away finally and walked off with Hinata and Chouji on either side of him.

Asuma walked up to the man and placed a large hand next to the Jewelers face on the carriage. Squeezing tightly enough that a crack in the wood detailing formed and the mans eyes widened with fear. "This concludes your business with the Leaf Village. Until next time." Letting go of the wagon, he took his smoke and exhaled into the mans face before walking off after his Genin.

When he found them, the three were looking inside a ramen stand. He could hear Chouji and Naruto comparing the different smells to Ichiraku's already. "How about we try it first before you start your debate. I'm famished," he brought a large hand to his own stomach as he laughed. Hearing rounds of cheers in agreement, he watched them gather inside and settle at a seat while Ramen was served one after another. Looking his team over, he'd really lucked out with the three. Their teamwork was flawless, and their communication was a dream. More than that...they got _along_ with one another. Naruto and Chouji were still working out the confidence issues in Hinata and then of course, she still got flustered when too close to Naruto. Unless of course her worry over-shadowed her embarrassment, then she could hold onto him without any issue. Not that the hyperactive blonde even realized her feelings. Or, if he did, he let it roll off his shoulders good naturedly.

Feeling eyes on his back, he barely turned his head, eyes taking in the shadows as his eyes followed the outlines of their secret stalker.

"Asuma-S-Sensei?"

He turned a smile to Hinata, "don't worry, just eat. I'll take care of them,"

She smiled and turned her attention back to Naruto who was telling her and Chouji about the differences between Ichiraku's new Braised Beef Ramen and the regular Beef Ramen. All three were aware of when Asuma disappeared, but with absolute faith in their Sensei, they continued to laugh and go about their meal.

**-x-x-x**

**(With Katsumi)**

Sitting silently against a tree, she'd long since taken to playing around with different herbs and plants around her. None of which she was picking. She didn't have anything to carry them in, and as a rule of thumb, she didn't handle plants without her bag on her.

"Oh..."

Jumping, she stood up in her surprise and frowned as her eyes met a young woman's. Tilting her head curiously at the woman's attire, she wore a soft pink kimono with black spirals scattered about it. Looking at her, she couldn't help but feel that something about her felt familiar. Glancing around, she took in how late it was. "It's a bit late for a midnight stroll, isn't it?"

"Some herbs and plants can only be found at night...while others are found in the morning. I had planned to come out again tomorrow morning, but tonight...I guess you could say I'm on a mission."

"A mission?" She perked, "what are you looking for?"

"Brugmansia,"

Katsumi frowned; she knew that plant. Knew it well. "Planning on a wild night?"

She laughed, "why do you think that?"

"Brugmansia causes euphoria and hallucinations, increases one's heartbeat and causes difficulty in breathing...among _many_ other symptoms, it's considered highly poisonous."

"Even the deadliest plants in the world have some benefit to them. Brugmansia can be used to help with the healing process of open wounds too."

She nodded, "yes, that's true." She stretched her arms above her head and glanced around. Not catching any sign of the deadly plant, she wandered a bit away and glanced around bushes and trees. "The Sacred Datura flower..." she felt the woman's eyes following her, "I was reading all about it back home. Here's to hoping that I can cultivate them one day, wasn't aware they grew here though."

"Sometimes, but not always. I've only heard about it, and tonight was a good night to come look for it."

Katsumi nodded, catching the full moon as she glanced up at the sky. "Oh," she turned and grinned, "what's your name? I'm Katsumi,"

"...Haku...it's nice to meet you, Katsumi. What were you doing out here?"

She stared curiously at the woman, "training, actually..." she paused and suddenly it hit her. The familiarity of the woman. Her voice!

"_**Thank you, I've been tracking Zabuza for a long time. Waiting for the chance to finally take him down."**_

"_By your mask, I see that you're a tracker ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist."_

"_**Impressive. You're well informed."**_

Katsumi looked the woman in the eyes before turning and continuing in her search for the flower. "When you took Zabuza's body, it wasn't as a tracker nin at all, was it. You're closer to him than that, are you his apprentice?"

The feel of a needle pressed to her neck had her pausing in her search.

"...you're sharp,"

"To be honest, I thought you looked familiar, but your voice is what gave it away." She straightened with the Senbon and turned to face the woman. She knew she'd kill her easily, too tired from her Taijutsu training with Kakashi, she wasn't in any state to be fighting someone of the kids' level. "So, how is he? Better, I hope."

"What are you looking for? What answers do you hope I'll give?"

She laughed, "I'm not digging for answers, Haku." Knocking the hand with the Senbon away, she sat down with her back to the tree and watched the female in front of her. Haku stared her down cautiously before placing the senbon back in the basket. Katsumi smiled, giving up on her search for the plant as Haku sat across from her, "I genuinely hope he gets better soon. There's no point fighting someone if they're not at their best." She brought a hand to the small pack at her hip and popped it open, reaching inside, she pulled out a few small clear containers before she pulled one free and replaced the others in her bag. "Vetiver Balm. Rub it into his sore muscles and joints, it's an antispasmodic and helps in relieving stiff joints. Also has a calming and stabilizing effect." She tossed it her way and the woman caught it with ease. "Don't feel obligated to trust me."

Staring at the container, the woman twisted it open before taking the earthy, woody scent in and closing her eyes before twisting the lid back on the container. "Why are you helping him?"

"Why not? He's a rogue ninja? So what. I was scared, when we faced him last time. In my confidence, I knew he could kill me, but I still pushed forward. Something inside of me pulled for me to fight him...not because he was dangerous or a threat, but because he was a new challenge. If I am to fight him again, I need to train and get stronger. More than that, I don't want to fight him, if he's not at his best. There's no point..."

The woman moved closer towards Katsumi, bringing her hand up to brush blonde hair from her face, she smiled into Katsumi's eyes before leaning in a bit. "You've asked your question, Katsumi, may I ask one?"

"A question?" She looked at the blonde hair that Haku held loosely in her hand, "go ahead."

"Is there someone who's precious to you?"

"...yes...there's someone." Katsumi closed her eyes in thought. "My brother. I decided a long time ago, whatever I did, I would do it for him. To see him through. To get strong enough...I need to..."

"How strong, is strong enough?"

"...oh, you know." She grinned, "I remember asking someone that very question!"

"What was that person's answer?"

"If you want to protect yourself, grow strong enough to protect yourself...if you want to protect your friends, then grow strong enough to protect your friends…I asked, how strong that was, and he said _"who knows"_. So, I don't know how strong, strong enough is." She sighed, "really, life is tough sometimes, but we can only keep pushing forward. Isn't that right?"

"Indeed,"

"Tell me, Haku. Your precious person, it's Zabuza, isn't it?"

She smiled, "that's right. Because I have someone precious to me, I can become truly strong."

"What's that? Is that really how it works?" Katsumi laughed, "then I sincerely hope that you and I never fight. My precious one isn't here with me, so to fight to protect that person...I think you might have the upper hand."

"...Katsumi, close your eyes?"

'_A shinobi who can kill me is asking me to close my eyes...sure...what could go wrong?'_ She felt her nerves run wild as she took careful breath and closed her eyes. As soon as she did, she felt something soft brush against her lips, opening her eyes in surprise as she tried to lean away but found herself trapped by a tree. _'What?! What is she...what is she thinking?!'_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter eighteen, and naturally, I hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think and leave a review~!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**This is what you want, to belong, so they like you.  
Do you like you?**

**You don't have to try so hard,  
you don't have to, give it all away.  
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up,  
you don't have to change a single thing.**

**\- Try (Colbie Caillat)**

**-x-x-x-**

Bringing her hands up to Haku's chest, she pushed hard but found the woman unmovable. When she leaned back, their lips separating, Katsumi finally screamed out in her frustration. "What were you thinking?!"

Haku chuckled, "I was curious, forgive me."

"C-curious?! I'm curious about a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I just do them!" She felt her cheeks burning and closed her eyes as she dropped her head forward.

Haku's hand was wrapped around the wrist of the hand on her chest, looking down curiously at the top of Katsumi's head, she smiled. "Was it so bad?"

"No...I mean, being kissed by a girl...and it was my first kiss! That's so...so...UHG! I was saving my first kiss for..." she lifted her head and sighed heavily, "never mind. I guess it doesn't matter." Her cheeks were alit with a red hue as she averted her eyes from Haku's.

"Oh, there seems to be a misunderstanding. Katsumi, I'm a boy."

"...a boy?" She realized the harsh reality that he was about ten times more stunning than any female she'd ever seen and shook her head of the fact. "That doesn't change the fact that you shouldn't go around kissing people just because you're curious. Why me? I'm your enemy..."

"No, at least, you aren't mine."

"KATSUMI!"

Her eyes widened and she knocked Haku away as a Kunai shot between them. The _boy_ flipped back and landed carefully on his feet before turning to see Sasuke standing on a tree branch. "Sasuke?"

"Get away from her!"

"..." Haku smiled and walked away as he grabbed for his basket. "Another day, Katsumi."

She nodded blankly as she watched Haku retreat. Hearing grass give way under pressure, she turned to see an annoyed Sasuke standing to her right and rolled her eyes. "Really, what was that about?"

"Tch, you're clueless."

"Excuse you?!" She pushed herself up off the ground and pointed at the tree behind her, "at least it doesn't take me a whole day to master sticking to a tree! Calling me clueless...and why the heck did you throw a Kunai?!" She picked the weapon up off the ground and glared heatedly at Sasuke, "this could have actually hit one of us!"

"Who was that?"

"...his name is Haku."

Sasuke's eyes widened, "that was a guy?!"

She laughed, "yeah," she poked him with the Kunai, drawing a drop of blood with his own weapon as he took it back from her. "I'm assuming you came here for me?"

"I came to get in some extra training, if you aren't too tired."

Oh, she just _knew_ she was going to regret this. "Of course I'm not!"

**-x-x-x-**

**(That Evening)**

Katsumi felt the groaning ache in her body as she dragged herself back through the door. Coming face to hat with the small grandson of the bridge builder. She acknowledged his glare and rolled her eyes. "What's up kiddo, did I do something to upset you?"

"All of you Ninja should hurry up and leave. Gato will kill you all..."

"Wow, great vote of confidence. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were rooting for Gato."

"What!?" The kid turned and grabbed at her wrist as the door opened again to reveal Sasuke. He looked on curiously at the scene but didn't bother to intervene. "You don't know anything about us! HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?!"

Ino and Shikamaru peered curiously around the dining room wall.

She yanked her arm towards her, when he didn't let go, she pushed it irritably backwards and threw him back into Sasuke who caught him in surprise. All the while, Kakashi and Tsunami had just come downstairs. "Like you said, I know nothing about you or your land. The same, however, can be said for you! Saying Gato will kill me?! Let him try! I won't be killed so easily." She brought a hand up, watching the kid as he tightly closed his eyes. She sighed and brought it down on his head, "what's the point of living in fear of what might happen? If you never do anything, you're only giving up. I can't...give...up!" Bringing a finger to the tears that fell from his eyes, she felt annoyance rage up inside her, "I don't have enough time in my life, to cry for every bad thing that's happened to me. All that I can do...is keep moving forward." She straightened up and left the boy to stare after her. Where she went? Everyone assumed upstairs to her room, but when Ino and Shikamaru who had been listening from the kitchen, followed her, she was gone.

**-x-x-x-**

Katsumi was staring down at Inari. She didn't say anything to him when he came out. He'd finally stopped crying and she didn't want to get into it with him anymore than she already had. The story of his _father-like _figure dying by Gato's men had reached her ears a couple days ago, but was she really supposed to just listen to him scream about how she and her teammates were going to die if they continued to fight? She couldn't do that! Not to them, and not to herself! What would Naruto say!? _'Naruto wouldn't have been happy either. Probably would have called him a crybaby...but...'_ she closed her eyes and recalled the times that she and Naruto would be held up in the apartment, crying over the mistreatment that came from the villagers. Verbal insults and physical attacks. Rocks being slung at them and dirty looks. Yeah, yeah, she knew what it was like. She hated it then, thinking back on it, she hated it now. That's why. _'That's why I'll never let myself give up. Naruto and I...we will show everyone that we aren't the monsters they claimed we were.'_

Reaching down, she snapped open her weapons pouch and pulled two senbon from it. Staring curiously at it, she replayed the attack on Zabuza in her head. Haku was amazing, but she was also quite talented with the Senbon. She didn't_ just_ watch Genma train. She practiced hard with his choice weapon too. After all...she wanted him to notice her.

"_Got a minute?"_

She perked up and listened to the soft padding of sandals. The voice, she recognized as Kakashi.

"_The other day, your grandfather told us about your father. Katsumi...she and her brother grew up without a father...actually, they only had one another for the longest time. Growing up without either of their parents, the village had turned their backs on them and with all that...a few friends were pulled from the heartache they were constantly forced to endure. You know, I've never seen her cry or sulk about it though. Don't get me wrong. She'll cry her heart out if she doesn't get to train, but when it comes down to her past...the hardships that she faced...she'll never give up. Watching her, she's always chasing after something I can't see. Eager to prove herself to the world. Hardworking, she pushes herself, probably further than I should let her...but I also can't stop her."_

She pocketed the senbon and continued listening to her Sensei.

"_Her dream...coincides with her brothers. Being able to stay by his side and protect him...she'll risk everything for that dream. If I had to wager on it, I'd say...Katsumi...just got fed up with crying. She'd rather do something stupid and drastic, than do nothing at all."_

Katsumi rolled her eyes, _'I don't think I'm that drastic...'_

"_Despite her age, she already understands what it means to be strong. I made the mistake of thinking her ambition childish, when in fact...it's truly not. Like your father...Katsumi gets it. Putting everything on the line, for the people you love and care for. She'd risk it all...to protect. No matter what she says, her actions will always betray her. That's why, I think she understand the most, what it is you are feeling. What she said earlier..."_

"_**If you never do anything, you're only giving up. I can't...give...up!"**_

"_She's probably told herself over, and over again."_

"_**I don't have enough time in my life, to cry for every bad thing that's happened to me. All that I can do...is keep moving forward."**_

"_Force feeding it to herself desperately, day in and day out."_

'_...damn...Kakashi-Sensei...you talk too much.' _She rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes. The next morning would come soon enough, she needed to sleep if she wanted to train more.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 19! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you think!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**I don't know why I get so crazy as the day goes on  
****The minutes slipping by feel like wasted time  
****I get confused, so much to do, don't know which way to turn  
****I run so far ahead that I can't catch my breath  
****Time to stop and close my eyes**

**\- Time Will Tell (Out of the Grey)**

**-x-x-x-**

The next morning found Katsumi practicing with her Senbon in the same place she'd run into Haku. Whatever was going on, the Bridge Builder was arguing with the villagers because they refused to dirty their hands. Sasuke and Ino were out with Tazuna and Katsumi and Shikamaru were doing their own thing. This meant that Shikamaru was sleeping or cloud gazing or he was with Kakashi doing something that he thought to be troublesome.

It was still early enough that a light fog was touching the ground as she danced along the grass with weightless feet. Spinning and striking the tree with perfect precision before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

"You aren't half bad,"

Not even bothering to look back at Haku, she began again, this time she picked up her speed. Growing more confident with her aim, she jumped into the air and twisted violently. Sending the five Senbon into different directions as they struck small red circles that she'd placed on the trees herself. Landing with a gentle step, she heard a soft chuckle and finally gave Haku her undivided attention. "You aren't allowed to critique me unless you plan to teach me."

"I think I can spare some time for a lesson,"

Her eyes widened, "are you serious?"

"Well," he lifted a Senbon in the air and smiled, "if I don't, you might accidentally hit your teammates with your terrible aim."

She sighed, fighting off a pink brush of heat, "at least you caught it..."

"Yes, at least I caught it."

**-x-x-x-**

"Where is she?" Shikamaru looked around the house and frowned as he saw Kakashi sitting with hot tea in hand. "Have you seen Katsumi?"

"She's training. Not that I know where she is, I just know what she's doing. It's all she ever does. Sit down, enjoy your day off."

"...yeah, right." Thanking Tsunami for the tea, he stared at the green liquid, bored out of his mind but not one to complain about having _nothing to do_, he took it with a grain of salt and relaxed into the silence.

"You know, Katsumi's pretty smart."

He peered out from beneath his closed eyelids, "how do you figure?"

Kakashi shrugged, "somehow, she's managed to avoid dealing with anything Bridge related."

'_That's right, she's dodged out of most of all the watches!'_ He stood up and made to leave the house when the door opened to reveal a bleeding Katsumi. "What!? Katsumi, what happened?!"

She laughed and waved him off, "training, I'm fine. They sting a bit, but I'll be okay once I clean them up."

"How did you get injured like that training?"

"Well, I wasn't training alone..." she ducked out of the room and made her way upstairs.

Shikamaru followed her with his eyes and groaned, "I guess, she and her clones were going at it pretty hard...troublesome."

Kakashi stared up the steps, feeling Tsunami behind him, he didn't say anything that might worry anyone, but he wondered about the girl's secrecy. He had no doubt that she'd been training. In fact, he was sure of it. Still, those were Senbon wounds, and as far as he knew, she wasn't trained in the art of Senbon.

**-x-x-x-**

**(The Next Day)**

Kakashi felt himself growing more frustrated as the fog around them grew thicker and thicker. After Tazuna finally got the villagers back to building, they'd all been knocked unconscious. Now, now... "Shikamaru...Ino! Don't let your guard down."

"**Right!" **The two responded as Shikamaru glanced around at the mist and felt a growing headache form as he took in the fact that the powerhouse duo wasn't among their team right now. "Kakashi-Sensei..."

"Don't worry,"

"_Sorry that I kept you waiting...Kakashi. What's this, you're missing a few brats?"_

Shikamaru didn't budge as water clones appeared out of nowhere around them. He wasn't bothered in the least by them, but feeling Ino beside him, he realized that she wasn't as confident. "Ino, you'll be fine, I'm by your side."

Kakashi disappeared from beside Shikamaru and wiped out the five clones around them. Watching water disperse to the ground, he turned his eyes to the two standing further ahead of them. _'Katsumi and Sasuke...they should be okay, but it may prove to be difficult without them if that kid joins the fight.'_

**-x-x-x-**

Katsumi paused with Sasuke next to her, taking in the marks on the tree and slaughtered bore behind them, she followed the trail with her eyes and frowned, "...Sasuke, go on ahead. I'm going back to Inari."

"What!?"

"Kakashi-Sensei, Shikamaru and Ino...they might be in trouble, right? You should go and check up on them."

Sasuke looked at the bore, "what about you?"

"Don't worry about me, I've got this!" She grinned, "I'll meet up with you at the bridge, so you better protect Shikamaru until I get there!"

He raised a brow at that before he took off, her voice still in his head as he made his way towards their team. _'What the heck does she see in that lazy guy.'_

**-x-x-x-**

Arriving back at the house, she looked cautiously at it. The door was cut down, it looked as if swords had laid waste to it. _'...Inari!'_ Running forward, she jumped the steps and took in the broken plate. "Tsunami? Inari?!" She yelled out but heard no reply. Running upstairs, she raced around the house, checking every room before jumping out the window and taking off. She had to find them. _'Inari! Inari, hang on!'_

Looking in ever which way, she finally spotted his hat. The boy was running towards two ninja who had his mother knocked unconscious. _'Grand time to learn to stand up for yourself!'_ She pushed chakra to her feet, pulling a Kunai from her back pouch, she reached out and caught Inari around the waste before stabbing the kunai into the ground and spinning. Her legs windmilled out around her and knocked the two Shinobi back out of the way before she pushed off the ground and landed beside the unconscious Tsunami. Lifting her, she jumped back and out of the way of the two before setting the two down. "I'm sorry to intervene. I know how annoying it is when people interrupt your fun...but...I simply can't let you hurt...Inari!" She yelled out as she sprinted towards the two as they pushed themselves onto their feet and grabbed their swords. Gone before they knew what was going on, she kicked the taller one out into the water before a sword came down fast on her.

_**POOF!**_

"What!?"

"Behind you~" She held a container of clear balm out in front of him as he spun around and smiled before blowing the sweet tantalizing scent his way. Watching his eyes dilate, his body began to spasm and he dropped down to one knee. "Your body is locking up, but don't worry, the symptoms will wear off in about an hour...when you regain your motor skills, might I suggest finding another job?" Silence followed as she walked past him towards Inari and his mother. "Inari, are you okay?"

"I-I'm okay..."

She smiled, "you were amazing. You must have been afraid, but you still chased after them, to protect your precious family. That kind of strength... never let it go, Inari! Now, let's get your mother to a safe place, then I have to go find my team."

"Right!"

**-x-x-x-**

**(Elsewhere)**

Naruto looked curiously at the tied-up Jeweler, "so I'm confused, he's a bad guy?"

Asuma scratched the back of his head and sighed, "so it seems. Now the only question is...who hired him." He lifted the headband and eyed the insignia of the Hidden Village of the Sound. "Why was he attacking our group after getting him to Waterfall, and what's in waterfall that he had to do it here?"

"Sensei?"

He shook his head, "it's fine, Naruto. Just thinking out loud. We'll need to take him back to Konoha, along with the wagon...something might be inside it that will give way to what the plan was."

"SENSEI! LOOK!"

Turning at Chouji's sudden yell, Hinata, Naruto and Asuma turned in time to see smoke rising from a distance, a flame enveloped the wagon that they'd brought along with the Jeweler as it went up in smoke.

'_What's going on?'_

Naruto raced off towards the smoke, looking around for anyone, anything that might give him a clue to what had happened. He heard a piercing whistle and leaned out of the way od a familiar needle. _'Senbon?!' _He looked to see a shinobi standing atop a hill and glared.

"**Naruto!"**

Turning at Chouji and Hinata's voices, he looked back at the Shinobi, but he'd already disappeared.

"Let's waste no more time here, come along." Asuma lifted the Jeweler and frowned, "we need to get this one to Yamanaka and Ibiki for interrogation."

**-x-x-x-**

**(With Katsumi)**

Arriving at the scene, she kept quiet and still as she watched what was happening. Her eyes traveled to Ino and Shikamaru who were both protecting the Bridge Builder. A small thought had her wondering if Shikamaru wasn't just lingering in the background to avoid any strenuous labor, but she pushed the thought away. _'Lazy he may be, he's still a Shinobi.'_

Turning her attention to the ice mirrors, the senbon that were being thrown around Sasuke were moving faster than she could see. Where they were coming from, she couldn't be sure, but she knew one thing...

_S_he glanced towards Zabuza and Kakashi, both were standing around, neither doing a thing. _'Yes, let's all stand and watch Sasuke get piercings...all over his body! Seriously Haku, why are you doing this? If you were really a killer like Zabuza, wouldn't you have killed me the two chances you had?!'_ Pulling her Senbon from her pouch, she eyed them carefully. _'Haku needs to come out!' _Pulling her hair up into a tight twist, she stabbed the two Senbon into her bun before placing her hands together, _'Shadow Clone!'_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 20! Let me know if the story is moving along well or if you absolutely can't stand it. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**Let it go, let it go,  
and I'll rise like the break of dawn.  
Let it go, let it go,  
that perfect girl is gone.  
Here I stand, in the light of day,  
let the storm rage on,**

**...the cold never bothered me anyways…**

**\- Let it Go (Idina Menzel)**

**-x-x-x-**

Katsumi jumped up with a Kunai in hand.

"Ah! It's Katsumi!" Ino yelled out in her surprise. "COME ON KATSUMI!"

Twisting in the air, she through the Kunai straight towards the ice mirrors, not surprised in the least when Haku leaned out to catch it.

"WHAT!? No way...he caught it?"

"Ino!"

Katsumi would have laughed if it had been any other situation, hearing the obvious annoyance heavy in Shikamaru's voice. Landing carefully on the balls of her feet, she locked her eyes on the mask. "Nice catch..." Even from where she stood, she could see by the way his head was tilted forward, he was eyeing the weapon. _'Did he already notice?!'_ She started running around to the other side, seeing Sasuke on the ground, turning towards Haku who was watching her, she smirked.

**_POOF!_**

Haku made to merge back into the mirror when Katsumi wrapped her legs around his arms before arching backwards and pulling him from the mirror.

"Perfect!" She eyed her clone, though it wasn't made to last. Not surprised in the least when Haku sliced through it and it _poofed_ out of existence. The plan was just to get him out, a whistle sliced through the air. She was sure he heard it, turning only slightly, he caught sight of the Senbon just as it passed his mirrors. He brought a hand up and caught them as they nearly touched along his neck. _'He couldn't make it easy on me, could he?' _She sighed, "well damn. I was hoping I could at least get you out of the picture."

"Sorry, but I can't fall unconscious in the middle of such a fight."

She nodded, "I hear ya." Looking at the ice mirrors, she walked past Kakashi and Zabuza, "well, are you two going to stand around staring, or are you going to fight? Leave Haku to me." Somehow, as she said this, she wasn't sure entirely who it was that she was saying this to. She had a hidden agenda and was sure that she'd be chewed out for it come the conclusion of this fight.

Kakashi sighed. He'd been thrilled to see Sasuke show up earlier, and then when Katsumi suddenly appeared, he felt himself relax into the situation they'd been handed. However, those ice mirrors didn't make him comfortable. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I'm not going in there to fight, but to protect the people precious to me!" She charged forward and twisted so that she could dive between the ice mirrors and curled up, rolling to her feet as she touched the ground. "Haku. Fight me."

Haku stood before her, the two staring the other down as Sasuke sat up, hand gripping one of his many cuts as he did. "Can you fight me seriously, Katsumi?"

Sasuke shook his head as he figured who it was beneath the mask. He doubted very much that Katsumi would be effective in this fight.

"...not with that mask on I can't. Why not take it off?"

"Would that really help you?"

She honestly thought that it might be to her disadvantage if she had to see his face. His eyes. After all, officially speaking, Haku was her first kiss, and then going out of his way to train her yesterday. _'Not something I need to think about!' _She shook her hand before reaching up and pulling the two Senbon in her hair free, "yeah, it would. I want to see your eyes as we fight. This person...who didn't kill me when he had the chance...when I was weak and had no strength, you aren't a killer, Haku."

"You seem so sure,"

"I am." She shot forward and moved out of the way of a Senbon as he made to attack her, bringing her own up to parry and block the attack while bringing her other hand around to strike. "I'm no Genius with the Senbon like you or Genma are. By no means am I. However, I have my own talents!" She flipped sideways and brought a knee up to the mask while both his hands were occupied. Contact was made, the mask was sent flying as his head turned from the force of her knee, and she smirked as his eyes locked on with hers. Continuing in the air, she landed softly on her feet and carefully knocked the mask aside and out of reach. "Much better...now, shall we get to it?"

Sasuke's eyes were wide in his shock. He watched Katsumi's hands tighten around her Senbon, she looked annoyed, angry and excited all at the same time. _'She's got this...'_

"You said your precious person isn't here...how will you ever hope to defeat me if you cannot pull out the necessary strength to do so?" Haku caught her wrist and guided her in a different direction as he redirected her attack.

"I lied!"

He frowned, dodging another kick, he didn't bother merging with his mirrors. He wondered why it was that he'd decided to stay on the ground. It would be an easy fight, easily won, he could knock her unconscious and she wouldn't wake up until the fight with Kakashi and Zabuza was long finished. He and Zabuza would be gone from the village by then...yet, he didn't. Why didn't he? "Lied?"

"Naruto, my brother; he _is_ my precious person! However, he is not the _only_ one I find to be precious! I have many who I will gladly fight for...and die for! This team has become precious to me, Haku. My Sensei...Sasuke...Ino...and Lazy Shikamaru will always be worth dying for! Not just them...but my village, my Hokage!" She caught him in the shoulder with her Senbon as he didn't move out of the way quick enough to avoid the needles point. Jumping back before he could retaliate, she stared ahead at him and watched him carefully before reaching into her back pocket and pulling out a clear container. "My precious ones, the list continues to grow every day! That's why...even you...I'll fight to protect!" She tossed the container his way and he caught it before his body stalled, tightening his hand around the container as he dropped onto his knee at a sudden falter in his muscles.

When his eyes grew unfocused as he tried to push himself back onto his feet, he dropped the container and watched it roll in circles before falling to its side. Reading the label, he closed his eyes and frowned. _'Dicentra Formosa...it shouldn't be this effective. I'm sure it's mixed with something else,'_

"I didn't want to risk making a mistake with the pressure points...but I don't want you to needlessly throw your life away either." She got down on one knee in front of him, she reached out and caught him as gravity gave out and he fell forward. "Please...let this all blow over. Just, stay out of it."

The ice mirrors didn't fall as she had hoped they would. _'I guess, they'll fall if he dies or if he brings them down himself?'_

"You should make sure that he's dead,"

Katsumi frowned and glared at Sasuke, "I have no plans on killing him, and if you try...you'll be fighting me too!"

"He's a rogue shinobi!"

"I can't bring myself to kill him for the cards he was dealt in life."

Sasuke picked up a Senbon, "I can!"

"Wait...Sasuke-Kun! Katsumi no!" Ino's voice carried, it always did...somehow, she wondered why it was that she could always hear Ino no matter where she was.

She stood up and moved before Haku who was now behind her and immobile.

"KATSUMI!"

She recognized Shikamaru's terrified tenor raising as Sasuke threw the Senbon in her direction. She wondered if he was really going to strike her down in order to get to Haku, _'this guy, does he really think I'm going to just let him hurt Haku!?' _She felt a hand on her wrist, felt a body pull her out of the way. _'No, it shouldn't be possible!'_ Dark brown eyes clashed with her wild blue, she watched the Senbon pierce through his shoulder, it wasn't a vital wound, but that he threw himself in front of her. Sasuke stared in surprise as he realized what had happened. Taking this as his chance, he took several Senbon and charged the boy in front of his teammate. "No, Haku!"

Katsumi felt her eyes widen and she brought her hands up to his chest to push him from in front of her. His arms tightened around her. Keeping her held tightly to his chest as he disabled her from pushing him out of the way. She was forced to watch the Senbon impale and slice through him. "S-Sasuke...SASUKE STOP!" Tears swelled in her eyes as she felt Haku's weight in her arms. Something swirled dangerously around her, she began shaking as something burning inside of her a swirl of heat surrounded her as a red chakra burned along her fingers before wrapping dangerously around her arms and legs.

"What's going on..."

She Jumped back out of Sasuke's range with the boy still holding her. "Haku, let go of me! Drop your Jutsu, it's too much to hold onto right now!"

"_My list..."_

She frowned, "...what?" Her eyes shot up as Sasuke moved towards her, the red chakra suddenly shot out dangerously around her. A voice grew in her head, but she blocked it out, ignoring it as she growled out irritably while watching Sasuke cautiously. He was a threat, and her body began to react with primal instinct. Feeling enraged, she refused to let her eyes leave Sasuke's.

"_...my list is also growing..."_

'_Haku...'_ tears trailed dangerously along her cheeks as she screamed out her hurt. She wasn't thinking straight when his hand fell limp, when his Jutsu fell, she couldn't see clearly.

**-x-x-x-**

"...what a sinister feeling..." Zabuza watched Haku. The boy lay limply in the girls' arms, her blonde hair whipped wildly around him as a red chakra could be seen spiraling around them out of control. _'Well, this is an interesting turn of events.'_ His eyes turned to Kakashi and he sighed, "kids these days. They just don't understand what it means to be a Shinobi. You and I, however...we get it. Once you start, it's hard to stop..."

Kakashi said nothing. Peeved that Sasuke tried to attack Katsumi. Peeved that Katsumi had protected Haku. Peeved that he couldn't send the two flying with a well-placed punch until all of this was over. PEEVED! No, he was pissed. Not only were the two fighting, but the Nine tails Chakra was apparently leaking. "Let's end this, Zabuza!"

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 21! I'm almost through the Land of the Waves. Goals~**


	22. Chapter 22

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**It's bitter, it's lonely,  
it will bring you sorrow only.  
But what choice do you have,  
you can run, or you can stand.**

**\- Welcome to the War (Victoria Carbol)**

**-x-x-x-**

"KIBA!"

Kiba perked up and turned to see Naruto running his way. Grinning, he stood up as Akamaru jumped from his head and ran off to greet their long-time friend. "Bout time you got back!"

"_Arrf! Arf!"_

Naruto caught Akamaru in his arms and laughed, "you missed me!?" Petting the dog playfully atop its head, he looked around and frowned, "where's your team? Follow up if I may, has Katsumi and her team made it back yet?"

"Haven't seen Katsumi since she left on her C-Rank, and missions are finished for the day. We just got back from a C-Rank and were taking a break."

"Whoa, you too!?"

"N-Naruto..."

"Oh," he turned and smiled, "Hinata! Are you heading home? I can walk you!"

She shook her head and smiled at the dog that was in his arms, "not yet, n-no. I was thinking of training...mn..."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea, where's Chouji?"

She blushed and looked back behind her, "he left for...mm...dinner."

Scratching his head, Naruto tapped his foot a bit before he shook his head in confusion. "Well, I'll drag him out later, I guess. For now, what are you doing, Kiba? Wanna join Hinata and I for some training?"

Kiba smirked at the slightly deflated look in the Hyuuga's eyes. "I'll meet the two of you at training ground seven, but I have an errand, so I might be a bit late."

"I gotcha! Then we'll see you later," he let Akamaru down and waved his hand before walking off with Hinata glancing curiously at Kiba who held out a thumbs up and grinned madly at her.

**-x-x-x-**

**(Land of the Waves)**

Shikamaru was trembling as he watched what was taking place. With the Jutsu down, it was one less obstacle, but...Katsumi... _'I can't let her hurt Sasuke...' _ He turned to Ino, "you stay here!"

"What!? Shikamaru, you can't fight...you..." she looked petrified, more afraid than he himself felt. "What can you do?!"

"I can be there...like always!" Running forward, he passed Kakashi who yelled out for him to stop. Rushing forward before he skimmed to a stop in front of Sasuke. The Uchiha was staring at Katsumi in confusion and uncertainty. "Katsumi!"

Standing, her hair defied the laws of gravity as it lifted with the violent red hues that licked up along her body. _"Out of the way!"_

"Who are you fighting, Katsumi!? We're a team. I mean, I don't really care about the whole brooding and depressing personality that comes with him, but Sasuke _is_ a part of our team! You said it yourself! A precious person! Sensei, Ino, myself...and Sasuke too!"

"_And Haku!"_

'_When did she and Haku get so close?!' _He frowned, "let me see him."

She growled.

Watching her snarl, he looked at the canines and wondered where this inner beast had come from. "Katsumi, you know me. I've been by yours and your brothers' side since we were kids...you _know_ me. I'm not gonna hurt him...so relax." He moved forward, knocking Sasuke's hand from his shoulder when he tried to stop him. "As far as precious people go, one of mine needs me right now. As troublesome as it is, I can't leave her like this. Just stand back, Sasuke."

**-x-x-x-**

**(Konoha)**

Asuma glanced lazily at the Hokage, "so that's the deal. After Naruto...huh. Well, he did great, I was proud of him."

The Third chuckled, "you've become quite fond of them, I guess?"

"That wasn't difficult. Fun team, cooperative and quick learners. I do miss playing Shogi with Shikaku's kid, but I suppose I'll just hit Shikaku up for a quick match. I'm kind of surprised that you didn't put together another Ino-Shika-Cho team."

"Circumstances changed things from the original line up."

Walking towards the lookout in the Hokage tower, the third stared down at the village and his people. Exhaling, he glanced back at his son, "with assassins being sent out for Naruto, I can only imagine that someone has gone after Katsumi too."

"Kakashi will be able to take care of anyone that goes after his team."

Nodding, the two eased into the silence, not needing to say anything to enjoy it for what it was. _Peace_. Though...for how long, they wondered.

**-x-x-x-**

**(Land of the Waves)**

As she watched Shikamaru check Haku, she felt the subsiding rage from earlier fading slowly. Her eyes trailed curiously along her hands, the muscles that had tensed, relaxed, her nails slowly returning to their normal blunt edge. Taking a deep and confused breath, she loosely considered the idea that _maybe_ she really was a monster. _'I've only been called one for as long as I can remember. I've never felt so afraid of myself...to think, something is actually...no! I refuse to think like that! Sensei,'_ she looked to Kakashi and Zabuza, she sighed as they were still engaged in battle. Blood was seeping along Zabuza's arm, Kakashi looked worse for wear, then there was Ino and Tazuna standing in shock off to the side. Neither knowing what to do, if they should _do_ anything.

Of course, there _she_ was. Staring trouble in her team by protecting the enemy, but she knew before they were even faced with one another, she wouldn't be able to kill him. Neither would she be able to watch one of her teammates kill him. That she turned a weapon to her teammate, however._ 'I feel like I completely lost sight of myself...'_

"Hey, Katsumi!"

She turned suddenly to Shikamaru, "what?"

"Look, he's okay, he's still breathing!"

Katsumi felt her heart skip a beat, but for some reason, when she made to move towards them, she couldn't budge. Her body felt heavy. _'Is it fear? Yeah...I think it is. Fear of what?'_ She took in the confused look on her friends' face. _'Oh...Shikamaru...'_

He stood up and made to step towards her but stopped when she stumbled backwards. "Katsumi?"

"I don't want to hurt you, Shikamaru. Please..." her voice broke, shaking in her nerves. She felt sick at the thought that she might be capable of causing harm to the very people, she had been training so hard to protect.

"I'm not afraid of you, Katsumi. Whatever is inside of you, I know who you are." He held a handout to her, "don't make me use my Shadow Possession Jutsu, it's too much trouble."

She let out a broken laugh, not able to stop the tears, she realized...during this mission, she'd cried more times than she'd cried in her entire life leading up to said mission. Stepping carefully towards him, she let him wrap his arms around her in a tight hug as he calmed her down. Her head buried in the crook of his neck as she tried to forget about the battle around her.

"Everything's okay now, Katsumi. I promise. Look, Sasuke is fine, I'm fine, Haku too."

"Heh heh, how touching."

Katsumi's head shot up and she turned her attention to a short man. "Who is that?"

Shikamaru took her hand and pulled for her to move behind him, "stay by your friends' side. He's down for the count, so someone needs to watch over him."

"What? What about you and Sasuke?"

"I'm afraid I no longer need the two of you. Zabuza and Haku...your contract is hereby terminated...kill them."

Zabuza let out a feral growl, "if you touch Haku, I'll rip your throat out!"

"Sasuke, these guys..." Shikamaru didn't have to finish his sentence as Zabuza and Kakashi changed their targets to protect them.

"Gato and his men, right? Yeah, I think I can manage these losers." He straightened up, ignoring the subtle sting of his injuries.

"I'll help out where I can, strike them down while I grab them! Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 22, moving onto the Chuunin Exam...or am I? Oh, what twists lie ahead, shall we find out?**


	23. Chapter 23

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**How do I live? How do I breathe?  
When you're not here I'm suffocating.  
I want to feel love, run through my blood,  
tell me is this where I give it all up?  
For you, I have to risk it all,  
cause the writing's on the wall.**

**\- Writing's on the Wall (Jackie Evancho)**

**-x-x-x-**

**(ONE WEEK LATER)**

Kakashi looked back at the villagers as they prepared to clean up the mess that Gato and his men made. "This bridge is almost done, how is he holding up?"

Katsumi glanced back at Kakashi; Inari was standing next to him as he was still unsure of Haku. Turning her attention to Haku who was helping Tsunami and a few of the villagers fix up her house after Gato's men tore through it. "I think...Inari understands his loss best of all. Don't you, Inari?"

Inari glanced down at his hands before walking over to Katsumi and looking past her towards Haku. The boy held a sad look on his face, and often, he would glance up towards the hilltop where Zabuza's Kubikiribocho. As if he were asking Zabuza if this was okay. "Yeah..."

_**Flashback**_

_Katsumi was knocked backwards by one of the many henchmen. Catching herself on her hand, she pushed off the ground and flipped backwards before bringing her hands together, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"_

_POOF!_

"_I won't let you touch him!" She yelled, her clones knocking the men away from Haku as they tried to get close enough to him that they could get rid of him. As Gato had ordered, there was no longer a need for Zabuza or Haku. With Kakashi and Zabuza's fight stealing the use of the swordsman's' arms, he was pushing past the men and cutting their numbers down next to Sasuke, Kakashi and Shikamaru. The Kunai that Kakashi had given him was tightly gripped in his mouth as he lunged into the men in front of him. Blood was splatter precariously around as he protected Haku from those who would try to do the innocent boy harm. Those who got past them, Katsumi dealt with. Their bodies were proof of her willingness to fight to protect. However, as she watched a spear catch Zabuza in the back, she thought of Haku. "No..." she made to move forward._

"_Don't you dare!" Zabuza's voice cut through the air like a Kunai, "you wanted to protect him, then you protect him!" He found his target, Gato cowering at the furthest reaches of the crowd. "I will make sure to take down every single one of you! We can all go to hell!"_

'_Zabuza...' she stepped back and spun with a Kunai in hand, catching another slippery hired hand. Her kunai caught this one in the side before she sent him flying with a kick into the water below. A long battle was coming to an end. As Gato's gutted cries echoed and Kakashi, Sasuke and Shikamaru finished off the remaining henchmen. Silence fell around them._

_A hand found her ankle. In surprise, she glanced back, and her eyes widened at the deep brown eyes of Haku._

"_K-Katsumi...please...take me to him. I still can't move..."_

_She sighed, but when she moved to pick him up, a pair of arms beat her to it. Watching, stunned as Sasuke lifted Haku with ease before carrying him over to Zabuza. She could only follow silently as he laid the boy down next to Zabuza who was lying on his back and staring breathlessly up at the sky._

"_Damn...Haku. When did I start...to feel like this?"_

"_Zabuza?"_

"_I was content being a Demon of the Mist. Things like pain and sorrow, I never knew such things...until you."_

_Haku struggled with his body, pushing to move his hand, to sit up, to stare down at the man who'd taken him in and cared for him since he was young. He was shaking as his body fought him tooth and nail. "Zabuza, I'm sorry."_

"_No...no Haku. I'm sorry. I've never once...never once thanked you for always being there by my side. Tch...this is fine, isn't it? I feel," Zabuza chuckled, turning a bit so that his eyes met Haku's. He lifted a hand and brought it up to Haku's cheek, his muscles tensing as he forced his arm in the air. "I feel satisfied with this outcome. Take your time, Haku. Besides, where I'm going, you can't follow."_

"_Zabuza!"_

_Katsumi knelt beside Haku as he brought his head down to Zabuza's chest and cried. She wondered if she had done the right thing, intervening like she did. A knuckle knocked against her knee and she looked up, meeting the hazy eyes of Zabuza._

"_...you too...thank you for protecting...my precious...person~"_

_Her heart clenched in the most painful way as she let her head fall with her own tears. A hand on her shoulder, she didn't know who's, pulled her into a warm hug. She recognized the familiar fragrance and curled into Ino's embrace. Holding her tightly as she cried. Why did this hurt so much? Why was her heart racing, hammering against her chest, merciless in its punishment on her body?! Somehow, Ino ended up holding both Katsumi and Haku as they let their tears fall endlessly. Shinobi? They were kids... for how long must they hold back their tears? For how long should they be expected to hide their feelings?_

_**End Flashback**_

"Sensei, I'm going to stay awhile and help Haku settle in."

Kakashi's eyes widened at that, "stay? Katsumi, that's not an option that you―" he paused as he took in the shaking of her shoulders. Sighing, he dropped down next to her and sighed, "you're going to be that person on my team, aren't you?"

"That person?" She looked up; tears hidden away as she fought them off.

"Yeah, that person I can't say "no" to."

She smiled and laughed a bit. "If you don't mind, yes. I will follow after you four, but I...I need to make sure he's okay. For Zabuza..."

"Right, I guess I'll deal with the Hokage and Naruto when I get home. Oh, and let's not forget Genma."

She blushed and cleared her throat, "I'm sure a capable Jounin like yourself will be fine, Sensei."

He wasn't so sure. Naruto was a handful, everyone knew how protective he was of his sister, and that he was leaving her behind alone? Yeah, no. Then the Hokage would give him an earful when he showed up without one of the Uzumaki twins. Kyuubi vessels aside, they were the Fourth Hokage's children, even if no one acknowledged the fact. As for Genma..._ 'well...what can he do?'_

**-x-x-x-**

**(Three Days Later)**

"Seriously, Sensei, how can you think this is a good idea?!"

"I'm not leaving her alone, Ino."

"IS A PUPPY SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER!?" Ino frowned and looked at the small pug that was scratching behind his ear and completely ignoring her in all her frustration. "Sasuke-Kun, tell him!"

"It doesn't matter to me. The mission is over, and Katsumi can protect herself. Probably better than the dog can to be perfectly honest." He glared across the way at Katsumi who rolled her eyes and turned away from him.

"Shikamaru, surely you agree with me!"

"I just want to go home and go to bed. This mission has been way too much drama. Although, I already know once we get back, Naruto is probably going to hound me for not bringing you back."

Smiling at that, she walked up to Kakashi and held her hand out. "Give this to Genma when you see him and tell him I'll collect it when I return home. This should get you out of trouble with him...at least."

"What about your brother,"

"Sasuke, you still have that book I lent you?"

Sasuke raised a brow but nodded, "what about it?"

"If you're finished with it, give it to Naruto and tell him that I'll be home by the time he finishes it."

"You know, he's gonna read that book nonstop." Shikamaru nudged a rock with his foot before glancing up and looking at Haku who was standing and staring at them silently. Catching Katsumi's eyes, the look they shared was one of understanding. He wasn't going to convince her to stay, and neither would anyone else on their team.

"We'll be leaving then," Kakashi sighed, "don't linger here too long, Katsumi."

"I won't, be safe until I see you guys again!" She waved, watching as Sasuke took Ino by the shoulder before pushing her forward.

Ino glanced one last time at Katsumi before she shook her worry off and smiled back at the grinning blonde. She guessed, while she was waiting for Katsumi, it would give her a chance to find herself! Training and working hard at becoming a better Kunoichi! Heh, naturally it wouldn't be hard for _her_. She was a Yamanaka, after all. She could do whatever she put her _mind_ to.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 23! I struggled with how I was going to kill Zabuza, and how I would keep Haku alive. I needed Haku for a later chapter, so this was a bit frustrating to write. However, I'm happy with how it finally pulled together. Review, and let me know what you think!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**A million shards of glass  
that haunt me from my past.  
As the stars begin to gather  
and the light begins to fade.  
When all hope begins to shatter  
know that I won't be afraid.**

**If I risk it all...  
Could you break my fall?**

**\- Writing's on the Wall (Jackie Evancho)**

**-x-x-x-**

A few days after most of Team Kakashi had left, Katsumi found herself in the forest with Haku. Training with him while he _used her_ to vent off his loss. He was feeling out of control of the situation. What with Zabuza dying and Katsumi saving _his_ life, he hadn't had a choice in anything. He still saw Zabuza in his last moments when he closed his eyes, heard him in his dreams.

"Haku,"

He heard his name fall from her lips, wanting to be angry with her, he couldn't. Couldn't bring himself to feel any sort of resentment towards her, any sort of bitterness. No, he felt gratitude, and this only spurred his attack on her. Not that he hurt her. He made sure not to! His movements no longer felt like his own, and it bothered him. How much of who he was, had died with Zabuza!?

"Haku!"

He felt arms wrap around him and stilled.

Katsumi looked up at him and sighed, "you can hear me now, right? Or were you just ignoring me?"

"...sorry."

She shook her head, "don't apologize. You are the last person who has anything to be sorry for. Well...as far as I'm concerned, at least. Can we practice the Senbon, since we're out here anyways? I'm still not where I want to be with my precision...mn, feel free to say "no"."

Closing his eyes, he pulled out a few Senbon. Truly, he couldn't be upset with her. She had given him a chance to live without the pressure of killing to survive. How could he be upset with her? He only wished...Zabuza could have been given the same chance. No, he wasn't stupid, he knew that could never happen. Still...he could wish...

**-x-x-x-**

That night, braiding Haku's long hair, she watched him carefully as he gently ran his fingers over Pakkun who had long since crashed in his lap.

"You're quiet."

She tied the braid and repositioned herself beside him as she looked out the window of the room she stayed in at Tsunami's place. He was staying with them too, though, he stayed in Inari's room while Inari stayed with Tsunami. For the time being. "I was just thinking. I want you to be happy and breathe easily from now on. You could do a lot of good, Haku. Your hands are the type that heal and help others. Don't you think?"

"As many lives as I have taken, I'm not so sure I agree."

"I don't think it's just me that thought this way. Zabuza did too. That's why he fought to keep you alive." She leaned against the window and stared out at the grave of Zabuza. "That's why, for Zabuza and for yourself...you should live happily from now on."

**-x-x-x-**

**(Two Weeks Later)**

"Looks good, Tsunami!" Katsumi grinned as they finished setting up a kitchen in the new home the knew home that the village had just built from the ground up for their new resident. It was a simple one-bedroom, one-bathroom home. Not that Haku was aware of what was going on. Most days he'd spend at Zabuza's grave, and nights were spent in the forest near the village, letting off his hurt and pain as he practiced well into the morning. Pakkun had been charged with watching out for him while they prepared for his stay.

"I hope he likes it. I know he must be hurting." She brought a bowl to the shelf and sighed, "good people are always getting hurt."

Katsumi didn't argue the sentiment as she adjusted the curtains and fixed them on the windows. "This is the Shinobi Way, Tsunami. It hurts, but it's the life we chose. Yeah, good people get hurt, but we can only be there for them when they do."

"Your parents must really be proud of you, Katsumi."

'_...I wonder.'_

**-x-x-x-**

Pakkun glanced back at the familiar scent of lavender, "you look tired, kid."

"I feel tired. You try lifting beams of wood from dawn till dusk." She watched Haku turn around at her voice and looked curiously at the yellow flowers in his hands. Smiling softly at him, she watched him turn back to the flowers in silence and hesitation. He wanted to say something, do something, but he wasn't sure what he _should_ do. "It's getting cold out, Haku..."

He gave a muted laugh, "I'm not bothered by the cold,"

'_Yeah, of course he's not.'_

Picking another flower, he stood up and stepped past the dog that had taken to following him around no matter where he went. Stopping about a foot from Katsumi, he lifted the flower and placed it behind her ear as he tucked her hair back with it.

Unlike the bright yellow ones in his hand, this one had a white center with petals of an ombre that faded out into a soft blue as they curled a bit. "What's this? I've never seen it before?" She tried to ignore the flutter in her heart, focusing instead on the flower with the sweet scent.

"Glory of the Snow, they bloom in the late stages of spring and early stages of fall. Thriving in the winter, and then sleeping through summer." He glanced at the Yellow Zinnia's in his hand and his eyes gave way to the sorrow in his heart.

"...it takes time to heal, Haku. I'm scared I'll say the wrong thing, but I'm more afraid that if I don't say something...you'll be buried beneath the weight of your heartache."

Looking up, he watched as her head began to fall and caught her chin with the same hand that had reached out to tuck the flower in her hair. Bringing her eyes up to meet his gaze, he leaned forward so that his forehead touched lightly against hers. "I won't drown in my despair, Katsumi. I have too much to live for. Knowing what you did to keep me alive, how could I ever thank you enough? True, my heart hurts at the loss of Zabuza, but in our last moments...he told me to take my time. I'm in no hurry to die, Katsumi."

"Zabuza's precious person has become precious to me too...so please take care of yourself, Haku." Stepping back, she held her hand out to him and smiled when he took it in hand. She knew who those flowers were for. Making their way to the hilltop, Pakun let the two go. He didn't need to follow them there, knowing what he did.

Hours could and would slip past the two young ninjas as they sat atop the hill. Neither needed to say anything, understanding the silence and stillness, appreciating it for all that it was worth.

**-x-x-x-**

Inari grinned as he saw both Katsumi and Haku coming back to the village. Running forward, he took Haku by the hand and pulled on him. "Sorry Katsumi, but I'm going to steal him now!"

She watched as Haku was dragged away and grinned as he stumbled at the height difference that was him and Inari. Sure, he was taller than Katsumi, but then, she didn't drag him around the village. Well, she did, just not quite so...forcefully. Following the duo around the bend of the village, she smiled as she came upon him and the entirety of the village gathering around him. _'He'll be safe...right? Zabuza? Can you see him? Are you watching out for him?'_

"Katsumi! Come on!"

She looked to Inari and made her way to his side. Dropping her hand playfully on his head as she messed up his wild hair. "So?" turning her attention to Haku, she laughed at the confused look on his face. "What do you think?"

"Is this really okay?"

"Haku, dear, we welcome you to stay in our village." Tsunami brought her arms around the boys' slender shoulders and pulled him into a hug.

A sight Katsumi hadn't expected, the following tears that fell from his eyes also took her by surprise when he brought his hands up and hugged the woman back. Inari grinned by his mothers' side as he tugged on Katsumi. His own eyes trickling tears as he tried not to cry.

A gentle flurry of snow began falling weightlessly around them. Voices took on surprise and children squealed in excitement. Katsumi brought out her hand to catch a snowflake, watching as it melted almost as soon as it met her much warmer hands. Looking up, she turned to meet Haku's worried brown eyes, smiling at him, she let him know that she wasn't afraid. In fact, no one was.

**-x-x-x-**

The night that followed in its emotional drawl, pulled on the exhausted villagers. When it was just Katsumi, Pakkun, Inari and Haku, the four were sitting out at the bridge and looking out at the long stone walk.

"Do you really have to leave, Katsumi?"

Smiling, she let her head loll to the side as she rested it on Inari's head. "I do. My team is going to forget all about me if I don't go home, but I'll come back to visit."

Inari pushed her off him and got on both his knees, "you promise? You need to promise!"

Haku laughed, "I wouldn't mind hearing you make that promise myself."

"I promise! Or else lightning strike me down if I don't come back!"

Pakkun sniffed at that, "Kakashi's quite talented with lightning Jutsu."

"Think he'll teach me?"

"...no promises, kid. If it will make you feel better, you can touch my pads. They're soft..." he said this while lifting his paw, the serious look in his eyes had the three kids laughing. "Touch them," he urged, pushing is paw closer to Katsumi.

Katsumi brought a finger to the padded feet and shook her head, "Pakkun, you're so cute."

He huffed, pulling his paw free from her fingers and turning a few times before lying down next to Inari. "I'm a Ninken, we are _not_ cute."

"Right, sorry." She wasn't sorry at all. Looking up at the night sky, she had a heavy heart as she knew, tomorrow, she was leaving the peaceful village in the Land of the Waves behind. Yeah, she would come back, but part of her really wasn't sure if it would be the same as when she left.

"Katsumi, should we have one final lesson before you leave tomorrow?" Haku asked as he stared up at the waning moon. Inari perked up beside him, having taken to watching their practices whenever an opportunity presented itself.

"Right now? Is that okay?"

"Of course!" Inari yelled, taking both Haku and Katsumi by surprise when he suddenly stood up. Urging her on as he gave her what could only pass as a look of sheer resolve by Inari's standards. "You should learn as much as you can! Become a great Ninja, Katsumi!"

She shook her head and stood up, extending her arms over her head before resting a hand on her hip, "well, I guess I have no choice. I'll have to work especially hard from here on out. So, one more lesson!"

**-x-x-x-**

**(The Next Morning)**

"You sure it doesn't look weird?"

Haku smiled but said nothing as he finished clipping the hair cuff around the strands of blonde hair that he'd gathered behind Katsumi. Taking bits of her long bangs and pulling them back into the cuffs, he was pleased with the way they fell. Stepping away and turning her around where he could better see his work. "I'm positive, it looks good."

"I get to keep it?"

He nodded, "I've got this one with me," he pointed to the one that held a lock of his own hair out of his face. No longer were both of his bangs tied away from his face, now only the one. "Pakkun," he dropped to his knee and pat the dog on the head, "you two stay safe on your journey back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"Of course," he lifted his paw and placed it on Haku's hand before the boy stood back up. The three walked out of Haku's new home and made their way to where the villagers were out waiting for Katsumi and Pakkun. Walking to the bridge, they stopped, and Katsumi took one last look at the village before her eyes caught Inari's trembling form.

Inari was looking down sadly as he tried not to cry. When a hand reached out to him, he finally moved forward and hugged Katsumi tightly around the waist. "You promised to come visit, so don't forget!"

"I won't forget, Inari." She rested her cheek against his head as she hid his tears away. "Until then, you take care of Tsunami, Haku and Tazuna."

"I will, I decided, I'm going to become a shinobi like you and Haku! I want to be able to protect the people I care about, just like you!"

"Off the record, Shinobi..." she laughed, "no one needs to know. You need only become strong enough to protect the people precious to you, Inari." Standing, she tugged his hat down a bit and smiled. "Hey, old man!"

"Tch, still a mouthy brat." Tazuna smirked, "we haven't decided on a name for the bridge, I was thinking of dedicating it to you, but I don't think your ego could handle it. The Great Katsumi bridge, not bad, right?" He laughed heartily.

She felt her nose wrinkle a bit at the name and laughed, "why not...the Great Uzumaki Bridge."

"Uzumaki?"

"Yeah...it's my last name. Katsumi Uzumaki..."

"Hm, the Great Uzumaki Bridge. I think I like it."

She shook her head, "lay off the drinks, old man. I'll see you all around! Bye everyone!" Taking off with Pakkun at her heals, she raced along the bridge as quickly as she could. "Hey, Pakkun, how far is it too Konoha?"

"Hm, it should only take us two days at most at the pace we're moving. I'm factoring in breaks..."

She nodded, "We have a short distance to go, and I'd like to see my team soon!"

"Want to speed up then?"

Glancing at the pug, she raised a brow at the suggestion, "sure you can keep up?"

"That old bridge builder was right, you are mouthy," he suddenly disappeared from her sight and she heard him call from further up ahead. "Don't fall behind, kid!"

'_Right! This is just training...one more goal I can see!'_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 24! I know it seems like a filler, but I promise you it's not. This chapter has its purpose! Besides getting to see Haku settle in, Katsumi gets to build her first friendships in Inari and Haku both. Let me know what you think, **_**this girl**_** is going to bed now!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**When a shadow  
is forced into the light,  
and the blood of the serpents  
will burst under brightest stars.**

**And the wings will carry  
these shadow and the light,  
and the scars like diamonds will  
cut through the veil of night.**

**At the edge of the dark,  
at the heart of the dark,  
at the edge of the dark.**

**\- When a Shadow is Forced into the Light (Swallow the Sun)**

**-x-x-x-**

Hayate stared at the man before him, his sword had cut through the armor of the sand, but only enough to draw blood. At that, he found himself struggling to pull the blade out.

"This technique is the Leaf Style Crescent Moon Dance."

His eyes tore away from his sword and he glanced up at the man, Baki of the Sand village.

"Being able to manage it at such a young age. As expected, this village is full of extraordinary Ninja. Your talent with the sword is superb...but, a real sword with substance, can be stopped. However, a wind sword can't be stopped by anyone!"

Hayate watched him raise his hand and felt fear run through him as the wind suddenly picked up. As he thought it was over for him, Baki was suddenly shot to the side by an unseen force. He turned his eyes towards the body of Baki that lay off on his side, unmoving with what looked to be two Senbon protruding from his neck. _"What?"_

"You looked like you needed help, sorry if I was mistaken..."

Spinning around, Hayate took in the crouched figure that stood across from him on another rooftop, long blonde hair blew carelessly around a small lethal form. "...girl Naruto." He muttered, taking a breath of air as he realized a kid had just saved his life.

"I actually have a name, Katsumi...Katsumi Uzumaki, remember it!" She straightened up and jumped forward towards Baki. Kneeling, she felt herself become giddy at the deathlike trance he was in.

"Right..._ehem,_" he cleared his throat and put his sword back in its sheath. "Reel your excitement back in, it's creepy to be so…happy over killing someone."

"He's not dead," she pointed at the Senbon, "I struck him in the pressure points in the neck. Cut off his oxygen and knocked him unconscious. Oh, though I suppose I didn't _need_ to put him in a death like state, I was curious if I could." She shrugged. "Didn't think it would matter if I tested it on someone who was trying to kill a Leaf Shinobi...but..." she tapped the forehead protector, "sand? I thought Wind and Fire were allies?"

"...so did I." He glanced to the Shinobi that had nearly killed him, "let's get him to the Hokage. We can decide what to do with him and his team then."

Katsumi nodded, standing, she turned and faced back behind her. Eyes trailing the shadows nearby as she watched in silence for a moment before smiling and turning back to meet the eyes of Hayate. "Let's go, keep your eyes peeled though. I don't believe we're alone. A shadow clone to carry this guy would be ideal..."

Hayate pulled his hands together and created a Shadow Clone. The clone lifted Baki in it's arms and the three started towards the Hokage's tower with Katsumi taking up the back and Hayate leading them. Truly, tonight was a night of good fortune.

**-x-x-x-**

**(The Next Morning)**

Shikamaru yawned sleepily as he made his way towards the fjord, crossing the bridge as he took in the serenity of the village, he ignored the fact that he _should_ be training for his next match.

"Hey, Shikamaru, what are you up to?"

Turning, he smirked and raised a hand, "nothing. Just taking in the sights. What about you, Kiba?"

"Taking Akamaru on a walk,"

"_Arf!"_

Kiba frowned and turned, glaring, he brought a hand up to catch a Kunai that had been heading straight for his head. "Damn it! Who the―Katsumi!? Katsumi!" Kiba laughed as Katsumi jumped down from the tree, she'd been in. A wide grin was spread across her face as Kiba ran forward and lifted her into a tight hug. "It's been forever! Has your hair grown!?" He placed her down and did a quick walk around her while Akamaru barked at the blonde. She was laughing as Kiba gave her his undivided attention.

Shaking his head, Shikamaru raised a brow as he made his way to the two. "What took you so long?"

Katsumi smiled, "we were building Haku a home in the village. He has his own place now, brought to him by the villagers. Oh! They named the bridge after me...weird, right!?" She laughed at his wide eyes.

"The Katsumi Bridge?!" Shikamaru shook his head, "that's unfortunate."

"Hey! No, I told them no to that. Instead, we agreed that the _Great Uzumaki Bridge_ wasn't quite as _cringy_ as the Great Katsumi Bridge. So, the proctor told me that you, Sasuke and Ino were moving on to your next matches!"

"The proctor," Kiba threw his arm over Katsumi's shoulders as he walked on with her and Shikamaru beside him. "Wasn't aware that you two were so close that you sit down discussing the Chuunin exams."

She tilted her head at that. "How close do I need to be to someone to talk about the Chuunin Exams?"

"I think if it was Genma or Kakashi, it wouldn't be so weird, but we've never seen you talk to this guy. Uh..._Hayate_? Was that his name?"

"Hayate Gekko." Katsumi stopped as she looked up at the Hokage tower, "like Genma, he's a Tokubetsu Jounin. I met him last night. Then I ran into him again this morning. I asked about my brother and he mentioned him passing the Elimination rounds of the Chuunin Exams...which brought on a whole slew of questions. You know, I like to know things. Apparently, Kakashi took Sasuke off somewhere?"

Shikamaru sighed, "yeah, so much for being part of a _team_. Kakashi spoils Sasuke, that brooding, depressing guy...I just don't get it."

"Well," Katsumi ducked out from under Kiba's arms, "I'll see you guys around. I actually came to see the Hokage, later!"

Both boys raised a hand in her departure, Kiba glanced at Akamaru as the dog laid down and placed its head on its paws pitifully. Eyeing the retreating blonde as she disappeared into the tower. "Come on boy, she's back, you'll see her again!" He grinned, watching his dog perk up and jump onto his shoulder before climbing atop his head.

"Hey, Kiba...I've been meaning to ask, but what do you do about flees?"

**-x-x-x-**

_**~KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK~**_

"_Come in,"_

Katsumi entered the room where the Third stood looking out the tower at the Village and his people below. She took the old man in and then turned her eyes to Hayate, Genma, Iruka and one other person she'd never met or seen before. The scar across his face left her feeling a bit unnerved for some reason, but she shook it off and walked closer to the desk. Stopping in line with the rest of the Shinobi who'd been called in to meet with the Hokage. She stood in silence wondering what it was that they were waiting on but choosing to remain silent until someone that _wasn't_ her, spoke out.

Glancing down the line of those she stood next to, she caught Genma's and quickly turned her attention forward.

The Third turned and faced those who stood before him, he sighed, "where are Gai, Kurenai, Asuma and Anko?"

_**~KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK~**_

As if saying their names had summoned them, the four opened the door and walked inside as one group. Finding places before the Third Hokage who nodded before pulling his pipe from between his lips and letting out a tendril of smoke. "Glad you could all make it. Last night, Hayate overheard some vital information that was shared between Sound and Sand. In the next few days, we need to be vigilante in Konoha's security measures."

"Lord Hokage, the Sand..."

He sighed, turning his eyes to Katsumi, "you are young, so I'm sure this doesn't make sense―"

"No, I get what's going on between Wind and Fire, I understand their breaking our alliance, I was going to say. About the Sand Siblings. Hayate explained to me on our way to inform you of the attack last night, that the mission to tear down Konoha wasn't yet given to the Siblings. From what I understand, they are here as Genin participating in the Chuunin exam, that's what they were told. What should we do about them?"

"...I will assign two of you to follow the sand siblings during the Chuunin Exams until we can figure things out."

"Can I make a suggestion, Lord Hokage?"

Genma put a hand on Katsumi's head, "I'm going to cut you off before you do. It's a bad idea, no."

"You don't know even know what I was going to say!"

"Hm, tell if this sounds familiar." He turned fully to meet her eyes, "let me guard them alone. The Jounin need to be stationed in case our Barriers are breached, and I'm more than capable of playing Sentry with three Genin." Well? Am I close?" He teethed his Senbon as he gave her a clearly annoyed look.

She blushed and turned away, crossing her arms and saying nothing.

"I completely agree,"

Katsumi leaned forward and glared at Iruka who ignored the look she was sending his way.

"Sending a Genin to watch _those three_. They're too dangerous."

"I'm sure you'll find this a unanimous position," Kurenai muttered more to herself, but everyone agreed.

"I disagree," All eyes turned to the Third Hokage who was staring into Katsumi's determined, albeit, bothered eyes, and smirking at the familiar look in them. One he'd seen many times before in another hot-tempered Shinobi of his. "Katsumi, you will be responsible for watching the three sand shinobi, Gaara, Kankuro and Temari."

"Understood!"

"What?! No, Lord Hokage, she's too young and inexperienced!"

"Iruka, I understand your worries," The Third held a hand up, halting any thoughts Iruka might have for continuing to argue. "We never did elucidate on last night's activities. While all of you were asleep, Katsumi showed up and saved Hayate's life. He made certain to clarify how close he'd come to death. There was no doubt in his mind, that had she not shown up and taken action, he wouldn't be here, and we would be none the wiser to who was behind his death or what that might mean for Konoha."

Katsumi fiddled with a lock of her long hair, pulling it and rolling it between her thumb and pointer finger, she tried to fight off the looks she was receiving.

"Why was she out so late?" The man who she didn't know asked curiously, suspiciously.

"I was returning with Pakkun from the Land of the Waves. I stayed behind to help the villagers clean up after Gato and his men wreaked havoc on their homes." She said this, locking her eyes with his stony stare.

"Pakkun?" Kurenai frowned, "Kakashi left you with his Ninken? Why didn't he just stay?"

"Well, I'm sure he could have, but I think he was just tired of the Mission by this point. Not to say the choice to leave me behind was a good one, I told him I wanted to stay behind and basically kicked him out of the village."

"Then how can we be sure that you haven't been compromised?" Again, this from the one who she couldn't identify.

"Ibiki!"

"That's nonsense!"

Ignoring Kurenai and Genma's suddenly raised tones, Katsumi tightened her fists at her side, "Compromised?! Are you serious?" She stepped out of line, moving closer to the man so that she had to crane her neck in order to meet his eyes. As intimidating as she had wished it was, it really wasn't. "Everyone I've ever loved is here in Konoha! As much as the villagers themselves bug me, I won't risk the safety of those I care for!"

"Katsumi!" The Third raised his voice, "Ibiki, you need not worry yourself over Katsumi's loyalty to the village. She has and always will, do what's necessary to protect those who can't."

She scoffed at that, "those are your words. Not mine."

He chuckled, "such a sassy girl you've turned out to be, I'm sure of it. I can see it."

"See what?!"

"..." he smiled, "Konoha's Will of Fire, it burns brightly within you."

"_**Konoha's "Will of Fire" burns brightly inside of both of you...so let it burn."**_

She heard Tsume's voice echo in her head from so many years ago, a flutter in her chest found her feeling sick. _'Is it the Will of Fire that's inside of me...or something else?' _Red danced before her eyes as she recalled the fight in the Land of the Waves. Really, she didn't know what to think anymore.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 25. I wrote this and then after rereading it, I changed my mind, and rewrote it. So, it's not the original Chapter 5. CHA!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**When your day is long,  
and the night, the night is yours alone.  
When you're sure you've had enough,  
of this life, well hang on.**

**Don't let yourself go,  
ćause everybody cries.  
And everybody hurts sometimes.**

**\- Everybody Hurts (Jasmine Thompson)**

**-x-x-x-**

"That's quite the tale," Kurenai commented as she listened to Hayate finish telling them about the night before. Ibiki had only been present for when the medic had pulled the Senbon from Baki's neck, then he did his job. "Katsumi really came through for you, didn't she?"

"I won't deny I'm thankful, _ekhm_."

Genma sighed, "I'm just glad that you didn't die."

"The feeling is mutual. _Ekhm._"

"Yeah, they would have made me the proctor for the next part of the Chuunin Exams if you'd gone and gotten yourself killed."

Asuma laughed at the frown on Hayate's face and the smirk on Genma's. "You know he doesn't mean it, Hayate. Hey, where did Katsumi run off to so quickly?" He glanced behind them, taking the stairs, they had lost Katsumi not too long ago.

"She's not used to praise, and the Third Hokage stood up for her quite a bit back there. She's probably gone off in search of a quiet place to think."

"...quiet?" Kurenai looked at the bustling streets and frowned, "is there somewhere that's quiet in Konoha right now?"

Iruka looked thoughtfully at the ground before nodding, "I can think of one place."

_One place..._

**-x-x-x-**

Katsumi looked down curiously at the marble stone. "What the hell is the Will of Fire? Saying things recklessly without taking my feelings into consideration." She placed her hands on either side of the monument and glared at her reflection. Her hair fell over her shoulders and she dropped before the stone onto her knees. Looking at the stone, she crawled around to the other side of the stone and looked at the names. "The names, there's so many...Tobirama Senju...that's...that was the Second Hokage." Her eyes trailed over the names, she took each one in, a long list of Shinobi who'd died risking their lives for Konoha and its villagers. "...Uzumaki...Kushina?" She tilted her head at the name.

"There you are,"

Her finger lingered on the name, catching the reflection of Genma in the stone, she stared a moment longer before turning to face him. "Hey,"

"Hey yourself," he pulled something from his pocket and held it out in front of him, "a few were missing."

She smiled, standing and walking the distance between them before reaching out, "I kept two just in case. I'm glad I did."

He let her take the velveteen wrapped Senbon and looked past her at the stone. "What were you looking at?"

"The names, _a _name. One...Kushina Uzumaki."

His eyes widened and he looked down at her, but her eyes were on the Senbon in her hand. She had one held loosely between her thumb and pointer finger, twirling it around a bit before lying it back down in the wrap.

"Your quiet," she glanced up at him and smiled, "don't worry, I won't ask questions. I imagine, if no one's told me anything about my parents till now, nothing's going to change if I ask. Um, though, did you know her?"

He sighed, "yeah, I did."

She grinned, "would you say I'm like her?"

"Only a lot."

Laughing, she skipped back to the stone and crouched down before it, looking at the name, her eyes sparkled as she wondered what the woman was like. _'Kushina Uzumaki...' _she shook her head before resting it on her knees, "was she blonde like me?"

"Nope, red hair. Long, long, looooong, red hair. I have no clue how she managed it."

"Longer than mine?" She fingered the tips curiously.

"Much longer, a bit shorter than I am, her hair fell past her knees." He walked towards the stone and sat down beside her, leaning back on one hand as he brought a knee up. Thinking back to the red head and her husband, he looked to Katsumi and smiled sadly.

Katsumi jumped at the feel of a hand on her cheek, turning in her surprise, she watched Genma lift his hand from her cheek and followed the glisten of a tear. _'I'm crying?'_ She raised a hand to her eyes and wiped her tears away before closing them tightly and burying her head in her arms.

"I guess, if you _really_ want to know about your parents, you could always bug the Hokage until he tells you."

A muffled laugh sounded from where her face was hidden, and she shook her head before lifting it, "I don't want to upset anyone by asking. I'll...investigate my parents on my own time. Oh, you know! When I was younger though, I had this crazy idea that the Honorable Fourth Hokage was mine and Naruto's dad. Haha, I guess," she smiled sadly, "when you have no one, you let your imagination run rampant. It didn't help that Naruto looked like him either...but this," she pointed at the name on the stone, "pretty much tosses that theory out the metaphorical window."

"_Sigh~"_ Genma nodded, "let's go eat before you start shadowing _those three_."

"_Those three_? Saying it so ominously, you better have some interesting stories to tell me about them if you're going to talk like they're some evil entity."

Rolling his eyes, he stood up and held his hand out for Katsumi, "food first, stories later." He glanced to his right before the two of them took off. Katsumi was none the wiser to the ears listening in on their conversation, and he wasn't about to mention it either.

**-x-x-x-**

Silent steps stepped lightly through the grass and up to the Memorial Stone, a shadow cast over the names engraved. _"To believe in, to cherish and to fight to protect the village and its people, just as previous generations have before us. That is, the Will of Fire. Kushina, can you see your daughter? Isn't she just as outstanding and vivacious as you were when you were her age?" _Laughter sounded in a full tenor as old and sad eyes stared down at the stone. "She quite the intelligent little Genin. Ready to turn the world upside down, like her mother was, but her father's intellectual and more rational side is somewhere in her, holding her back. I wonder what she'll do, when she's older."

**-x-x-x-**

Placing the last of the daisies in the vase to her right, Ino smiled as she reached back behind her back and pulled on the ties of her apron. She heard the door open behind her and turned to see Shikamaru walking in with a look of boredom heavy in his eyes.

"Hey, Ino, have you seen Katsumi around?"

"Katsumi? Shikamaru, are you losing your mind already?" Ino folded her apron and laid it on the counter in the flower shop, "I told you that lazing around and staring up at clouds all day would turn you into an old fossil. The memory is the first thing to go."

"Your implication that only the elderly take time to enjoy watching the clouds is dully noted."

She rolled her eyes, passing him as she waved to her mother. "Katsumi hasn't returned from the Land of the Waves."

"Well, you're wrong about that. She got back last night."

"What!? Hm..." she frowned, "then, is she sleeping still?"

"Nope, ran into her this morning,"

"I'd say...oh, she's with Genma!"

Shikamaru shook his head and sighed, "what? How'd you come to that conclusion?"

She smirked and placed an arm over his shoulders before turning his face in the direction she was looking, "because I can see them."

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 26, another chapter that I had written, didn't like, and rewrote! So, another chapter that you'll never know the original content of. XD gotta love it!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**I think I like that you seem sincere,  
I think I'd like to get to know you a little bit more.**

**I think there's something more,  
life's worth living for.  
Who knows what could happen,  
do what you do, just keep on laughing.  
One thing's true, there's always a brand-new day.**

**I'm gonna live today like it's my last day.**

**\- Who Knows (Avril Lavigne)**

**-x-x-x-**

"Ah, my trios on the move so early?" Katsumi looked at the sand siblings from the window of the eatery she and Genma sat at. Genma who was across from her, stared after the three as he also watched them leave the inn that they were staying at.

"Early risers,"

She smiled at that, "reminds me, I haven't seen Naruto since I got back last night. He wasn't at home."

"He left with Jiraiya about a week ago."

"I'm sorry, Jiraiya? Is that name supposed to mean something to me?"

Genma smirked, "he's one of Konoha's legendary three."

"...legendary three?" She rolled the words around in her head a bit before her eyes widened in her realization. Standing in her surprise, her hands slammed down on the table as she yelled out her conclusion, "he's one of the Legendary Sannin!?"

"Yep," he motioned with his hand for Katsumi to take a seat and raised a brow as he caught sight of two of her teammates walking into the restaurant.

"Wow, insane!" She fell back into her seat and dropped her cheek into her hand, elbow positioned on the table to keep her stable. "Naturally, while I'm away in the Land of the Waves, Naruto's being scouted by Legendary Sannin for training. What great timing."

"I acknowledge your sarcasm, but it does you little good with me. Why not save it for Jiraiya and your brother."

She gave a half roll of her eyes when she heard a chuckle from behind her. "Ino!" Turning to meet the platinum blonde on her team, she moved over as both Ino and Shikamaru found places in the same booth as her. "Whoa, okay, I'm scooting..." she gave Shikamaru a look which he chose to ignore in favor a stealing her soda and a straw. All the while, his eyes kept Genma's occupied. The older male watched with mild amusement at Shikamaru's attempt at intimidating him. "Ino, congratulations on winning your match! Must have been trying."

Ino smiled, "fighting Sakura, I had to look at myself and the kind of Kunoichi I wanted to be. While in the Forest of Death, I decided that, I really want to take up medical ninjutsu. After our match, Sakura and I both talked about it, and we are thinking of pursuing these lessons together. It's no secret that Sakura's smarter than I am, but I really want this."

Katsumi smiled, "that's a spirited goal. Mind if I join the two of you on your medical journey?"

Ino laughed at that, "I wouldn't tell you "no" Katsumi. Honestly, I think every three-man team needs a Medically trained shinobi."

"Takes too long to train efficient and experienced Shinobi in the way of Medical Ninjutsu. It won't ever get passed the council," Genma tapped his senbon on the table, eyeing the tip in thought, "it's been brought up several times. If they do agree, it will be hastily and sloppily done. Only one person is competent enough to train the Shinobi of Konoha in effective Medical Ninjutsu."

"Who's that?"

"Lady Tsunade, the only female of the Legendary Three Sannin. She left Konoha years ago." He sighed, "but it's certainly a good concept."

Ino's shoulders fell. "I guess that was a bit ambitious of me."

Genma shook his head, "don't get like that. All mopey and such. If you want it bad enough, you need to fight for it."

Shikamaru put Katsumi's drink down and sighed, "what a pain. It's like you said though. Village council would hardly consider the notion. It's been tried several times over by, what I'm sure, were more accomplished Shinobi."

Katsumi looked at Genma and Shikamaru from where she held Ino's hand. The two looked to be annoyed with one another, but neither said anything concerning their obvious irritation with the other. Genma popped his Senbon in his mouth and smirked in that way that always drew her in and had her heart skipping a beat. Feeling her cheeks heat up a bit, she quickly redirected her eyes to the window and continued staring at the villagers in her line of sight.

"This village wasn't built on ideals that fell through and were left forgotten. It was built from the ground up by Shinobi who had the courage to pursue their dreams." Genma looked at Katsumi, "don't linger too long, Katsumi, you still have somewhere that you need to be."

Katsumi nodded and watched him in the reflection of the glass as he stood and vacated the restaurant. Paying the woman that had been serving them food and drinks.

"Damn! I can't stand that guy! He's worse than Sasuke..." Shikamaru dropped his head on his hand. "What do you see in him?"

"Well, maturity is attractive, and then...consideration, intelligence, easy to talk to...he's always been there for me. I'm under the impression that he always will be. Maybe I'm being childish, and nothing will ever come from it, but then..." she stood and slid out of the booth, catching Shikamaru's eyes as she did, "I don't give up on my ambitious dreams."

Ino and Shikamaru watched her leave in the opposite direction of Genma. Ino sighed, "why is it, despite her looking at you while saying that, it felt like she was saying it to me?"

"Humph, I don't know. Women are all the same. Troublesome, every single one of them."

**-x-x-x-**

Katsumi caught up to the siblings and smiled. They were easy to spot, which made them easy to follow. Catching a low hanging branch, she flipped up and settled herself a way out of their sights. _'From here on, you three are my responsibility, so try not to do anything that will get you in trouble...'_

"_Baki still hasn't come back. I wonder what's keeping him."_

"_It's a bit worrisome, but he can take care of himself, right Gaara?"_

Katsumi raised a brow at the red head that looked to be her age. Laying down on the branch, she rested her head precariously on the branch and was quick to stabilize her balance with her chakra. When she peered back up and over the leaves, her eyes widened. _'Ah! He's gone!'_

"Gaara?!"

"_Damn, he took off!"_

"_Kankuro, let's go back to the inn, we'll wait for Gaara and Baki there."_

"_...right."_

Katsumi frowned and glanced around the clearing, eyes trailing towards the trees in the vicinity and any place that she herself might consider hiding. _"Where did he go?"_

"Behind you,"

Her body went rigid with fear as she turned around only to come face to face with the red head who was upside down on the branch further above hers. Not able to stop herself, she stumbled backwards in shock and screamed as gravity grew closer to her. _**"AAH!"**_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 27 of Then There Were Two. I know a number of you are looking for Naruto centric chapters, and I promise you, he'll come in again and be more heavily included later on, but this is a story that centers mostly around Katsumi, my OC. I normally don't write OC's, but I really wanted to try.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**When your day is long,  
and the night, the night is yours alone.  
When you're sure you've had enough,  
of this life, well hang on.**

**Don't let yourself go,  
ćause everybody cries...  
and everybody hurts sometimes.**

**\- Everybody Hurts (Jasmine Thompson)**

**-x-x-x-**

Staring at the red head as he leaned against the railing of the Inn, Katsumi was fuming at what had only taken place less than an hour ago. Aquamarine eyes locked with her darker and blue. She could scream! It was so embarrassing; her only reprieve was that no one else _saw_ what happened.

**_(Flashback)_**

"_AAH!" Katsumi closed her eyes as gravity pulled her to the ground. When she felt time pass her by with the obvious absence of pain, she tensely forced her eyes open and tried her best to evaluate the situation. Feeling stupid for not reacting to falling out of the tree as a Shinobi should. Really, how hard was it to utilize the skills that had been ingrained into you since early childhood?! No! Civilian ineptitude it was! At least the sand was soft._

_Yeah. That had been like a highly anticipated blanket of soft sand that had caught her before she hit the ground. Very thankful for the barricade that appeared between her and the hard ground. Though, it wouldn't have been necessary if she had acted like a Shinobi. Actually! No, no! It wouldn't have been necessary if the red-haired panda ninja hadn't appeared out of nowhere, upside down, behind her! So, yeah! It was completely his fault! Or, if anyone asked, that's what she'd decided to go with._

"_..."_

_Katsumi felt her feet touch the ground before the warmth of the sad left her and returned to the gourd on the boys back. She looked back up at him and frowned, "...thank you." Should she have been surprised when he didn't say anything? She wasn't. He hadn't spoken once since she'd begun following the three siblings. If she thought about it, "how long were you aware?!" Realization hit her like a rock._

_He raised a brow, "the moment you arrived. Why are you following us?"_

_She glanced down as she considered her next words carefully, "because I was curious."_

"_Explain."_

_She shrugged, "I want to know what kind of people you are. I want to know what kind of Shinobi you are. You, your sister and brother...I'm curious about the three of you."_

_Vanishing in a swirl of sand, he appeared crouched before her before standing and looking her square in the eyes. "If you get in our way...I'll kill you."_

_She felt her blood run cold. As he stepped past her and began walking off, she smiled and shook the sudden feeling of dread off her before turning to look at his retreating form. "So, then it's okay if I continue to follow you? So long as I stay out of your way, right?"_

_He paused but said nothing before he continued walking on his way. Katsumi considered this his answer and grinned internally at her personal victory. Taking off into a tree and following a bit closer to him as she knew he was already aware of her shadowing him._

**_(End Flashback)_**

"What a bother/ This can hardly be considered tailgating." Turning onto her side, her hand rested on the side of the railing as she slouched in her irritation at the situation. True, it worked out well enough that he simply _didn't care_, but he _knew_. That's just...not right!

Her eyes didn't leave his, and his didn't leave hers. _'I'm pretty certain that this isn't what the Hokage had in mind.' _She perked up as the door slid open and she watched the blonde step out.

"_Gaara, Baki still hasn't returned, should we go look for him?"_

"_...no."_

"_But―"_

Gaara turned away from Katsumi and she felt a breath of air that she hadn't known she'd been holding, escape her. _"The finals is a few days away, whatever has happened to Baki, I won't miss this match."_

"_...I understand."_

The two returned to the room together, though, Gaara walked in, the blonde, Temari, had followed nervously after him. Katsumi shook her head and sighed, jumping rooftops, she sat down just above their room. _'They're nothing like the way me and Naruto are. How can you be so afraid of your own brother?'_

**-x-x-x-**

Hours had passed and Katsumi had followed the siblings in silence from their room to the dining spot across the street. She made a clone when _Temari_ decided to walk around the village a bit and investigate the shops. She kept her eyes firmly glued to the three as she tried to make sense of the reason behind breaking the alliance between Wind and Fire. It really was a wonder. Why strive for war, when peace provided you with so much more free time.

Night was falling and she and her clone had met back up, Temari was walking inside the inn and the brothers were already in their room. It was around this time a large gust of wind and dirt was kicked up across the village near the hospital. The sound of something heavy hitting the ground accompanied the gust of dirt and drew Katsumi's eyes away from the inn and towards the hospital. "What was that?"

"Maybe you should check it out,"

She rolled her eyes but didn't bother turning around to verify who'd spoken. The boy had a habit of materializing out of this air in a swirl of sand. Why should this surprise her? "No, I'm fine. I'll probably hear about it tomorrow."

Gaara sat down on the roof and closed his eyes as he brought an arm to rest on his knee.

Glancing back at him, she took in his exhausted frame. "Why don't you sleep? You look tired."

"..." he said nothing, the wind whispering against his hair.

'_Right, why did I expect him to say something?' _She fought back her own yawn and sat down on the room beside him. "You guys need to stay out of trouble."

He barely peered at her from beneath his eyelids.

"I know I'm saying too much, maybe because I'm sympathetic, or maybe I'm just senseless when it comes to things like this. However, I want to see to the safety of the sand siblings. I can only do this, if you don't act on your orders." Sand swirled in her ears, she wondered if she should be afraid or just act like she didn't notice.

"I knew you were following us on orders, but you look to be my age. I thought for sure they would have the insight to send someone...more experienced."

"I asked the Hokage to be assigned to you three. You aren't interested in these orders, are you?"

"I am a Shinobi; a tool to be used by my village."

Katsumi turned to face Gaara, "...I can't say that I'm not the same thing. However, this tool will choose how she's used. I will not raise up against those who bare me no ill will. I will not turn my weapons on those who mean my family, friends and village...no ill will. Gaara...if you stand against me, I will fight you, and I will win. If you choose not to, then I will protect you and your family, should that time come. Do not turn against the Leaf Village. Do not break this alliance. Stand with us...please..."

"Why should I care about your village, your family or yours friends? Why would you think I'd care about your plea?"

She gave an overly dramatized shrug, "I don't know. I guess, why I look at you...I see something scary."

His eyes narrowed, "something...scary?"

"Yeah, it probably won't make sense if I explain, but let me try." She crossed her legs and turned fully to face him. His eyes trained on her, but she could feel the spite in his gaze. "When I look at you...when I look in your eyes, I see...I see...what might have been. That scares me. You look lonely and hurt...very hurt. Sad even. I wonder, for how long you've been alone. You have a brother and sister, yet, you act like strangers. They cower in fear like you're some kind of...monster. As if one wrong word could be their last. That's not family. For me, up till I was seven years old, it was just me and my brother. We were born on the night the Nine Tails attacked, and our parents were supposedly killed. Though, if you ask anyone here about them, they'll give you the cold shoulder. It's completely taboo. Naruto and I...grew up thinking that something might be wrong with us. We were called demons, monsters...parents told their kids horrible tales about us, like we were some evil being that would eat their souls. It was stupid, really."

Gaara listened, watching a stray tear befall her cheek, he turned away from her and closed his eyes.

"By a stroke of luck, we met Kiba...and then...Chouji...followed by Shikamaru. They became our friends. They made the choice to decide for themselves what to believe. Should they believe the gossip in the village, or what their own eyes tell them is true. When Naruto and I were seven, we were found and pulled from the darkness that this village, at the time, had been dragging us into. I learned; retaliation will get me nowhere. I don't want to be the monster that they fear me to be. I want to be me. This person, who lives, and fights to protect the people who she's grown close to. This person who knows that she'd give her life if only it meant saving her only family. I studied. I trained. I blew off sleep to extend my knowledge. I knew, if I could gain their trust, then I could achieve that peace of mind, and peace of heart. When I looked into your eyes, I was brought back to when I was seven years old. If me and my brother hadn't taken Kiba's hand, where would we be now?"

"...your world was bleak. By some miracle, light shined on you and your brother...I however, never left the darkness."

Katsumi stood and walked before Gaara, crouching before him, she held her hand out. "...choices like these...last forever. What will you choose?"

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Chapter 28 is DONE! And Naruto seems to have returned from training? Well, if you know Naruto like you think you do, then you know where we are without my needing to write down the episode. XD LOVE YOU GUYS! Review~**


	29. Chapter 29

**Then There Were Two**

**Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?**

**Anime/Manga: Naruto**

**Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure**

**Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.**

**Rated: M for Mature**

**-x-x-x-**

**Turn off your porcelain face,  
I can't really think right now in this place.  
There's too many colors.  
Enough to drive us all insane.**

**\- This is Home (Cavetown)**

**-x-x-x-**

Naruto grunted at the feel of something falling heavily on his gut. Eyes clenching tightly as he registered the morning before glancing down at the assault on his stomach. "Hey, Shikamaru, I don't suppose you could get off of me...huh?"

Shikamaru turned his head from where he'd let it fall back against the loud blonde. "I could, but I'm comfortable."

Naruto sighed and closed his eyes, "if you're here, that means Katsumi must be somewhere nearby."

"Oh, is that how that works? Yeah, she's not."

"Wait, she's not still in that village, is she?!" Naruto sat up and sent Shikamaru's head forward in the motion, he reached out and gripped the ponytail that shot past his eyes and yanked it backwards, eliciting a pained grunt from his long-time friend. "You guys need to go back for her. Hell, I'll go back for her!"

"Man, chill!" Shikamaru pulled his hair free from Naruto's grip and stood up before taking a step back away from the medical bed that Naruto was sitting up on. "She got back a couple days ago. She's...somewhere. However, Kiba and Genma are the only two who can find her. Well, the only two I communicate with, that can find her. She's been off doing her own thing for a while lately."

"But she's in the village?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru pulled his now messed up hair from the tie as the door opened to reveal a grinning Kiba and Chouji. He smirked before pulling his hair back up into a tight ponytail.

"He's awake! We heard you appeared out of nowhere after disappearing for so long."

Naruto frowned, "I bet Pervy Sage dropped me off here."

Kiba had no clue who _Pervy Sage _was, but he through the curtain aside and stare outside the window before pointing, "your Pervy Sage has some massive, strange looking feet."

Throwing aside the sheet that covered his lower half, Naruto jumped out of bed and looked at where Kiba was pointing. "WHAT!? No way...Boss brought me here?! Wait, so I guess I stayed on his back!" Naruto grinned and jumped up in excitement, "wahooooo~! YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT KONOHA!" Naruto shouted from the open window, "WATCH ME! I'M GONNA BE THE NEXT HOKAGE _AND _TOAD SAGE!"

"Toad Sage?" Shikamaru brought a hand to Naruto's forehead, "what the hell, man! What are you wailing about!?"

Kiba knocked his fist against Naruto's shoulder, grinning ear to ear as he met his friends stare. "Naruto, your training must have been intense. I'm assuming blunt force trauma to the head?"

"Shut up!" Naruto looked away as he crossed his arms.

Chouji held a bag of pork fat flavored chips out to Naruto and laughed when the blonde grabbed a few and smiled, "I have no idea what you're talking about, but if you're able to move around like this, we can get out of her. I'm starving!"

"Oh yeah! It's been awhile since I've had Ichiraku's."

"Well, I guess anything's better than barbeque." Sighing as he let his friends drag him from the infirmary, Shikamaru withheld a groan of aggravation as his goon squad was back in full swing. "All we're missing is...Katsumi? Oh, hey...found her."

"What, where?!" Naruto turned, looking all around until he angled his head and turned his eyes up. "Why is she _alwaaaays_ with him?!" His loud voice had clearly been heard when he saw Katsumi's eyes turn and widen at the sight of him. She looked back to Genma who was staring down at him, completely unphased, before he too looked away and returned his attention to Katsumi. However, what struck Naruto as odd, was the fact that Genma seemed to be a bit bothered by what Katsumi had said. The two kept looking back at the inn across from where she and Genma were, and both looked to be on the verge of arguing. Not that he'd complain! An argument between his sister and Genma?! He could only dream...

"What I wouldn't give to hear what their saying."

Chouji frowned, "does it matter? It seems to be mission related, so we should stay out of it. Unless Katsumi's in trouble or immediate danger, I don't want to get involved." He pointed back at the Ramen stand a bit away from them, "I'd much rather confer over the new flavors of Ichiraku's Ramen."

"What new flavors?" Even as he asked, Naruto couldn't tear his eyes away from Katsumi and Genma. Watching his spunky and reckless sister cock her hip and put her hands atop it before giving Genma the most uninterested look he'd _ever_ seen on her face.

"Well, I don't know. I just saw the sign that said, "_ALL NEW FLAVORS_" so...why don't we go look into that?"

A sudden laugh escalated from what Naruto had been hoping would end in a slap or punch, he sighed and dropped down onto the ground. Crossing his legs as he watched his sister laugh at whatever Genma had said before waving him off and jumping down to meet up with their little group. "Why can't you just like Chouji, Shikamaru or Kiba?"

Kiba and Katsumi both glanced at one another, shaking their heads, neither said anything to Naruto's suggestion. However, it was evident that they didn't see a future together.

"I have no idea what's wrong with the two of you together...you have so much in common!"

Laughing, Katsumi looked back at her brother, "like what?"

"Well, for starters?! Age! You're both the same age! That's a great conversation starter these days." He turned to Shikamaru, "hey, name's Naruto, I'm twelve, how old are you?"

Shikamaru scratched his head before turning and walking off, "I don't feel like playing this game. It's too weird, and too much work."

Katsumi jumped up onto Kiba's back and grinned when he caught her legs and chased after Shikamaru. "Naruto!" She yelled back to her brother as he raced after her and Kiba, Chouji walking beside Shikamaru without a care in the world as he relaxed to the familiar antics of his friends. "Welcome home!"

He grinned, "I should say the same thing to you, and don't change the subject!"

"I never said congrats, did I?" She asked, carrying on as if she couldn't hear him. "On passing the first and second tests of the Chuunin Exam, and the prelims!"

"Hey! I passed to you know."

"I know, and I'm proud of you too Shikamaru. Knowing how much you probably wanted to quit and give up."

"He almost did," Chouji threw his head back and finished off the bag of chips before crunching it up into a ball.

"Oh? Then why didn't you?"

"Listen, it was a bad lapse in judgement!" He frowned, "so just drop it. I'll make sure that I don't pass this exam. Way too much responsibility. Augh...what was I thinking...being a Ninja..." Shikamaru sighed.

A gust of wind suddenly wrapped around the group and Katsumi curled in on herself as the chill climbed along her arms. Jumping off Kiba's back, she frowned and turned to see what had caused the rush of wind. Standing behind them, three ANBU.

"_Katsumi Uzumaki, the Hokage has sent for you."_

"..." Naruto took hold of Katsumi's wrist and glared at the masked shinobi. "Why is the Hokage sending ANBU out to get my sister?"

"Yeah, that's something that Chuunin normally do...in all their infinite power." Shikamaru muttered.

Katsumi watched Kiba and Chouji move in front of her before raising a hand to the ANBU. "I'll catch up with the two of you, go on ahead."

"_Understood,"_

She knew who they were by the sound of their voice. Hayate and the vivacious violet haired beauty she'd seen with him. Though the latter was obvious because of her hair. Still, she knew who they were, and thus, she knew she could trust them, or at least _him_. "I have to go make my report. I'll see you later at home, Naruto!"

"Report?" Baffled, he watched as his sister, once again, left him. "We should have been placed on the same team. Don't they know separation causes insanity?! Believe it!"

"Oh, we're here!" Chouji ran to the stand. "Nice! Hey, old man! Get me all of your new flavors!"

Clenching his fist with red cheeks, Naruto shook his head and yelled, "MAKE THAT TWO SERVINGS OF ALL YOUR NEW FLAVORS!"

"Coming right up!"

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Here is chapter 29! Hope you all enjoyed, poor Naruto though.**


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